FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Since I’d stayed up late chatting with Tadao last night, I got out of bed quietly, careful not to wake him. I directed water from the sink for washing up, and even after I was fully dressed, the red deer hadn’t stirred, his breathing calm and steady.

I left the dormitory area, moving through the Academy’s indistinct corridors. The app I’d installed earlier prompted me where to turn at each junction, and after a short walk, my terminal chimed, signaling that I’d reached my destination.

“Ah, Richter.” The metallic sliding door closed behind me, and a honey badger looked up from his workstation, greeting me with a nod. “Here to finish up that commission?”

“Yes, Mr. Cape. It’s the last one—I’d like to wrap everything up before the semester officially starts.” I bowed respectfully and couldn’t resist a glance at the striking swath of silver-white fur that ran from his forehead back. It always made his facial proportions seem slightly off to me. “Have the Vanguard arrived yet?”

“Not yet, but I expect them any moment,” Mr. Cape said, tapping a few keys on his console. “You can go inside and wait; the door takes a while to open.”

“Thanks,” I said, nodding in appreciation before moving to the room’s far side to await the heavy blast door’s opening.

The high-polymer alloy and concrete structure slid horizontally along its track, grinding open at a painfully slow pace. When the gap was finally wide enough for me to slip through, I moved quickly, unwilling to wait for the door to open all the way—a process that took a full five minutes.

On the other side of the blast door lay the inner chamber. Through a glass wall spanning the high ceiling, I could see the control room, currently empty. Reflected in its transparent wall was the image of a peculiar structure—“gate,” as Mr. Cape had called it.

A ring-shaped archway made of stone blocks engraved with unique symbols stood there, the lowest part obscured by a metal ramp that served as a passageway. During activation, the blocks would rotate along the arch, stopping when a specific symbol reached the top. After a short delay, the selected symbol would glow red, and then an inscription would form within the center of the arch.

Watching this contraption—somewhat reminiscent of an ancient dialing system—always filled me with a profound sense of mystery.

I knew that activating the gate to the “Tower” required aligning seven specific symbols, so I continued observing the blocks rotating around the arch.

I had a strong suspicion that with a different combination of symbols, the gate might open to somewhere else entirely.

“Hello, Richter.” A Thomson’s gazelle entered the inner room, followed by four other herbivores. “You’re always so punctual.”

“As much as I can be,” I replied, shaking hands with Tanaka senpai and glancing at the others, who seemed a bit uneasy.

"They’re all newcomers, just recently authorized, so I thought I'd show them around," the Thomson's gazelle explained, perhaps guessing my confusion. "Would you mind joining us for a round? I know it’s different from the original request, but back then, you didn’t have permission then." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "We won’t go beyond the tenth floor—just letting the rookies get a feel for the place."

He tapped the altimeter on his wrist for emphasis, his tone promising reassurance.

“Of course, no problem!” I replied with a smile, signaling my willingness to go along.

Maintaining good relations with the Vanguard faction was nothing but beneficial. Besides, accompanying them for an initial exploration of the Tower’s floors seemed prudent before attempting anything on my own.

My hand absentmindedly brushed the hilt of sword at my waist, considering whether Tanaka senpai had noticed I’d brought Gray Snow along, prompting him to alter his plan.

Whatever the reason, it didn’t affect my decision, so I followed Tanaka senpai through the ringed gate. After a short walk, we stopped in front of the Tower’s main entrance.

Tanaka senpai pulled out a silver card embedded with invisible microchip and held it to the Tower’s gate.

“Is that… ‘The Coronation of Seven Nights’?” a sheepish-looking herbivore asked, casting a quick glance my way before averting his gaze.

“Yes,” I replied, surprised that someone recognized the artwork and even knew its title—an uncommon subject for the Federation. “It depicts the founding of the Canid Empire.”

“Oh, I wondered what that was about—why so many wolves were bowing to a coyote,” said another herbivore, likely a spiral-horned antelope by the shape of its horns.

“Hold on,” Tanaka senpai paused, looking back at us with a peculiar expression. “Are you all seeing the same thing?”

The herbivores exchanged glances, then nodded affirmatively.

“Interesting.” The Thomson’s gazelle glanced at my side, where Gray Snow was sheathed. “So, it’s truly a complete adamantine weapon?”

From Tanaka senpai’s hint, I gathered that the changes in the Tower are connected to having a complete adamantine weapon. Beyond that, Hemp, Kotetsu senpai, and even Tadao hadn’t informed anyone else that Gray snow was a complete adamantine weapon.

As the gate opened, I expanded my consciousness, enveloping everyone within its bounds, and a faint red hue tinged my vision. Then we ascended the stairs, heading to the higher floors.

Tanaka senpai explained things to the others as we went, documenting observations on his terminal, but I didn’t listen closely—my thoughts were elsewhere.

I have an almost nonexistent sense of direction, so remembering landmarks is nearly impossible. Yet, the surroundings gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.

Yes, it wasn’t my imagination—that corner, that staircase, and the engravings on that wall…

This was exactly like the scene I’d encountered in my dreams.

I pressed gently into the Tower’s realm, probing for strength, and the result was worrisome.

“Senpai,” I stopped abruptly, interrupting Tanaka, who was showing the others some gray markings on the wall that might have been part of a mural. “What floor are we on?”

“We’ve only crossed into the second floor,” he replied, looking at me with slight confusion, his crimson eyes oddly disconcerting. But, sensing the urgency in my tone, he glanced at his wrist. His face froze, and he rubbed the altimeter’s screen with his thumb. “This can’t be…,” he muttered, scanning our surroundings. “We’re on the fiftieth floor…”

His answer confirmed my worst fear. Just then, a metallic scraping sound on stone caught my attention, making my ears stand up, and I instinctively gripped my sword hilt.

“Shall we head back the way we came?” Tanaka senpai whispered, consulting me. “What do you think?”

“Yes,” I replied in a low voice, scanning our surroundings warily.

Tanaka senpai briefed the others to tread lightly and stay alert, but likely to avoid panic, he didn’t disclose our exact situation.

If it were just a few scattered squids, I should be able to handle them with the experience I gained last time. But with so many to protect…

As Tanaka senpai and I exchanged glances, it seemed we’d reached the same conclusion.

Perhaps it was the eerie atmosphere or simply the fact that this was my first time in the Tower with a large group, but our staggered footsteps created a somber melody that echoed ominously in the vast space, making every corner and shadow feel like it held a pair watching eyes—or a lot of red dots.

Just as we were about to reach the staircase leading to the lower floors, almost ready to celebrate our luck, I heard the sharp grinding of metal against metal—far too close.

“Go ahead without me, please don’t wait.” I whispered to Tanaka, unsheathing Gray Snow. “I’ll need all my strength.”

The gazelle’s face showed hesitation, but he nodded after a glance at the visibly shaken herbivores, then led them back the way we’d come.

I turned, positioning myself at the end of the narrow corridor, taking up the Frost stance.

Here they came.

A mass of red dots filled the corridor. The writhing, heaving forms surged forward like a flood from the darkest pits of a nightmare, threatening to engulf me completely.

The squids piled on top of each other, their number impossible to estimate. All I knew was that there were a lot—an overwhelming number.

I thrust Gray Snow forward, skewering one squid that had darted out of the mass, then withdrew and slashed at another that lunged toward me.

No, this was too many.

Even with the narrow corridor in my favor, I would be overwhelmed eventually.

As soon as I felt Tanaka and the others exit, I withdrew my consciousness, pouring all my focus into Gray Snow.

The hand-and-a-half sword resonated with a deep, powerful hum, and without a moment’s delay, I unleashed a sweeping Snow stance strike. Several sharp, pale-blue slashes materialized in the air, surging toward the horde of squid. The consciousness density I prime into the sword was very high, the slashes emitted piercing shrieks as they sliced through the Tower’s domain, shredding every squid in their path to pieces.

As the metallic clatter of countless falling fragments filled the air, my legs gave out, and I barely managed to catch myself before collapsing.

But unexpectedly, I found myself leaning against something solid and warm.

A strong hand gripped my shoulder, a solid chest supporting me, helping me stay upright.

Turning, I saw a pure white wolf with intense red eyes, gazing at me with an amused expression. His canine teeth, visible in a sly smile, seemed to gleam in the dim light.

I glanced down and confirmed his identity by the style of the long sword at his waist.

“So, are you saying we’re even now?” I teased, smirking. “Hardly! You were seriously injured back then.”

The snow just snorted, letting out a deliberately mocking huff, as if I’d just told the worst joke he’d ever heard.

The scene was so absurd that I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Somehow, our strange, alternating laughter echoed through the vast, eerie space of the tower—and after bouncing around for a while, it didn’t seem so strange anymore.