Chapter 34

Euthenasia no Euphoria.

This place, these mirrors, everything, it's as if something snapped and everything is now suspended in mid-air. Unlike before, the darkness was too superficial. The only way forward is where our feet land. I'm standing in front of the man who separated me from my comrades. This entire place is being played while we unravel this gloomy place created by Schatten.

"There is no trace of Schatten's presence." I don't feel anything in particular, but these mirrors bother me a lot.

"This place is guarded by only one Schatten. That Schatten had complete control over these mirrors. Stay sharp, the last thing we want is to be slain by it." This guy separated me from the others and is now attempting to strike up a friendly conversation with me.

Although, based on that distant memory, I believe he is somewhat familiar. I'm curious where I saw those kinds of eyes he made before.

Until now, our legs have not stopped moving. Looking for a hopeless exit. When I pass by these mirrors, I can't see my reflection. As if I were a ghost from the mirror. The guy, on the other hand, is unconcerned about it. I'm wondering what he's thinking.

And to be honest, this place is like a mirror prison. There's no exact path for the exit, and yet, look how calm he is with every step he takes.

"Say, how long have you been here?" Perhaps it'll be best if I get a little information about him.

"I've been here for quite some time."

'For quite some time now'? How long exactly is that? Not only that, but what is he doing here, and what is his intention? He could also be someone with an interest in the artifact that has been sealed here. If he's after it, he could pose a threat to us. If things get worse, I may have to silence him.

"Are you searching for the exit? Or were you unable to leave at all?"

"...Hmm.."

What kind of response is that? Which one did he settle on? I don't understand this guy.

I didn't bother having any more conversations with him as we walked. In any case, the guy wouldn't answer me exactly. I've just noticed how calm he is in situations like this. Panicking, on the other hand, will not help. It's important to stay focused and calm, but I'm concerned about those rascals. They could be fighting the Schatten already, and I'm walking with a complete stranger.

I've been thinking about any possibility of my comrades' situation when my hair sways slightly from the air. It widened my eyes in some way. The air is getting a little stronger, which is odd because this is a closed space, is it?

"Don't you think this is getting weirder and weirder?" I know we can't see the Schatten, but I have a feeling. Something strange is going on, and we mustn't ignore it."

"Then, what do you suggest we should do so?" The man came to a halt, turning over and staring at me. It caused me to freeze on the spot.

Is he mad at me? Why is he looking at me like that?

"U…uhh, I'm sorry. But you know. Now that I think about it, this is all your fault!"

"Haaa!? What now?"

His eyes rolled down at me, revealing an unmistakable irritation.

"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken me away from my friends!"

"Obviously."

He also has the audacity to be sarcastic.

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, and I began yelling at him.

"I took you out of there because I was trying to save you. Because you don't have any Magia within you."

"Why should you care?! You don't know who I am, and I don't know who you are! We're complete strangers!"

"...Ahh.. Is that so?"

He did, however, appear dissatisfied. The next thing he did was turn away from me.

This guy is insane. I'm beginning to think he's a shady character. Wait, he said he was imprisoned here and wanted to get out. But, if he wanted to leave, why did he need to bring me with him? First and foremost, there is no reason for him to be concerned about whether I have magia in me.

This guy… could it be?

"Do…do you …perhaps know me?"

I received no response from the man.

I also recall that he said something strange to me before.

I'm glad to hear you've made new friends.' That's exactly what he said. As if he knows everything about me. Just who is he?

"...I…"

He was unsure whether to response or not, and he didn't even make eye contact with me.

"Do you know—"

But then the mirror beside me suddenly glowed with blinding light.

"Watch out!" Although the man immediately pushed me away, we were still caught by it.

The next thing I knew, I was in some sort of place, and children were singing something very nostalgic.

"Ladybird, ladybird fly away home,

Your house is on fire and your children are gone,

All except one,

And her name is Ann,

And she hid under the baking pan."

They're singing happily while creepily circling me. What are they thinking? It's creepy that these kids are entertained by what they're doing right now.

"Will you stop bullying her?"

And then a child interrupted their happy song, forcing everyone to come to a halt and face the young boy who is only concerned about me.

Wait. I'm in the middle of these kids, so I just realized my hands were smaller than usual. And it appears that I am the same height as these bullies.

"Did I travel into the past?"

That light in front of the mirror is what brought me here, isn't it? But why do I have the impression that everything is hazy? I have no recollection of this. I'm sure this is all the work of Schatten, but there's one thing I'm not sure about: can a Schatten change my memory from the past?

I remember going to an orphanage. But, if my memory serves me correctly, this has never happened to me.

"You're so lame for protecting this trash!"

These children have a poor manner either.

"I don't care! Stop harassing her!" The boy approached me directly, grabbed my hand without hesitation, and pulled me away from the bullies.

Who is this kid? What will he do with me? If this is one of the domains created by the Schatten, I need to find a host quickly so I can get out of here.

The song before is still bugging me.

"Lady bird, Lady bird—" now, this kid is singing it. I gulped as I pulled away my hand from him.

"Are you the Schatten? What are you trying to do here?"

"What? I'm just trying to protect you from those children.... why are you mad?" The kid's eyes started to well up, and he started crying just because I asked him that. Don't tell me the Schatten is playing a tricky game here, kid. This is the same situation as in the previous exam. But I don't know, I couldn't use my Artes, so I don't really feel anything at him.

Oh, that man who tried to help me. I need to find him because he may have been dragged here as well. To do so, I must play along with this Schatten—kid until I find him.