Chapter 138: Mandela

"You've got to be kidding me...." Was all Harvard was able to say, watching the Hat Man crawl out of the wall, watching his body be detached from its stone, staring at the two children, his eyes shifting colors once again, this time in a bright green. Not wasting time, Ronove immediately went in for an all-out assault, using his staff-like flute as a proper weapon to try and stab him directly into his trachea, before hoping to do another sound to pierce through his throat and down to his other parts of the body. The Hat Man merely phased himself into the wall and reappeared somewhere else, sending a massive horde of snakes and spiders towards the Goetia. In response, it would take it upon as a flute and play a separate key, located around his left leg, pressing the key using his thigh and taking a deep breath, performing a sound of an Owl, letting it echo across the room and forcing the reptiles to back away. Shadow People started to emerge, being seen by the snakes as a response to such sounds, pushing themselves away and hissing, even rattling their tail as if they were rattlesnakes. A tell-tale sign of fear. Shifting such a pitch, the group would try to deafen themselves once again, as Ronove played his high pitched tune that paralyzed the arriving Shadow People, as well as stunning and crippling the snakes. Despite their hearing being muffled, due to the echo made across such a room, as well as the sounds piercing through with magic by Ronove, such a pitch was still audible for them and caused them to not properly function. The Spiders, on the other hand, only sensed through vibrations, and as such, continued to try and approach the demon, with the group watching Ronove cease such music and striking at them all with such precision from its staff, being careful not to have them get inserted into the flute-like weapon. A. N. Noh would pop out from the walls and analyze them once more.

"Interesting. It only existed for a few minutes, and yet it was capable of reacting to my assault so quickly. Its movements are acting without any hesitation. Its eyes remained unwavering. A Husk. A Husk with no clear emotion, yet still carrying its duty. Like how a real earl should be....Interesting, Interesting~!" His words were dripping with desire, sending his next wave towards the likes of the demon in the form of multiple Eligos, one in which the Children outright tried to step in and stop such markings from invading. Harvard would have his seal set up to absorb the demon, while Zazel unleashed his own Eligos to clash with any remaining ones, forcing them to cease their movements, locking together amidst one another. The last of them, Pria, couldn't do anything but watch, with her body restricted by the Other Pria, holding her back.

"You know.....you're not gonna be able to leave if you keep hiding yourself like this.....right?" Pria's words were blunt, yet it paid no matter to her mirrored self. The Mirror merely nodded her head, gripping herself down so as to ensure they wouldn't get up. "So....why do you not want to-" 

"Because I don't want to die! Is that so much to ask for!? I'm literally in the worst place imaginable and I don't want to lose everything in here. It's dark....It's scary...I-i-it's a death trap, Is what I'm trying to say!! I don't want to die here! If it means someone else falls, so be it!" Her mirror's words were staggering, her voice shaking heavily, yet Pria merely stared down at such a reflection.

"Pathetic.....and here I thought we were supposed to actually help people."

"Wh-wha? B-b-but we do-"

"You're willing to let other people die...to save your skin. I get that you're scared...but to a point where you are willing to let others take your fall....is a sin on its own." Her blunt words make her remained firm, only able to watch as the children and the Demon would try to strike at the Hat Man, trying to cover as much sides as they could, casting spell after spell, attack after attack, hit after hit, all trying to take down the Hat Man before he eludes himself in the walls. Along the way, Noh would use the shadows to create appendages and swoop in for quick strikes, clawing at the group, slashing at them in full force, their blood splattering all over the floor. The boys would recover themselves quickly, yet they knew they were wasting time. Every time they would do such healing, Noh would try again to close the walls in on them, trying to crush them alive, yet Ronove would counter with his flute, playing his tune to stun the Hat Man and cease any compaction, getting close and striking at him when he was stunned. Despite the attacks connecting, no sign of damage was made.

It was an endless cycle. A Loop to make them burn through as much energy as possible so that he could go for the kill.

Pria would once again try to get up and reach out, yet the Other Pria continued to hold her down. She could hear whimpering made from her mirrored self. She could see her crying, despite not being in the danger. Noh immediately heard such noise and would observe the two halves fighting amongst one another, unable to properly move themselves. "Interesting.....So I was right as well about your supposed alternate. Your Mirror....It is like two sides of a coin, where one isn't willing to show as much as the other. Is she actually cowering there?" A. N. Noh would ask.

"Why should I tell you....?" Pria would answer back, her tone being harsh. Such whimpering is still audible, however, from the vial.

"She is! She is!! Ohohoho~! I can't believe it! The Mage with the strength of a general, unable to fight back because of her counterpart! A Dichotomy that prevents you from even moving an inch! It's too perfect! Such richness!! It's feelings like this that makes studying such emotions all the more satisfying! The answers are always so intrinsic and beautifully woven together, like an art piece without needing to lift a brush! It's a perfect display before me! However, all good things must end....I do wish you are all ready for what comes next." His words were like ice, as he would create a hand sign from his very palms, his fingers intersecting one another, barring his thumbs, which they lightly tapped one another, before finally showing his mouth. He grinned maliciously as he stared down at the group that gave such a hard time. The children and Ronove braced for impact, as he'd cast his spell.

"Memory Magic: Mandela."

As he used it, the very world began to shift. The walls began to become static, glitching themselves and sporadically wiping themselves away, disappearing from their vision. They were left within a black void, with nothing to stand on, nothing to grab onto, and nothing to protect themselves. They were floating, nothing more that an object drifting in a black sea, being watched over by faceless giants, before being barraged by every strike imaginable. Cuts, punches, kicks, chops, stabs, slaps, even gripping and tearing off their flesh. An amalgamation of attacks made by an invisible source, most likely human, based on their wounds. It was absolute torture, with the children screaming in pain, yet still maintaining their ground, despite no ground to ever exist. Ronove was the first to give way, ripped asunder and scattered into nothing but blood and plasma. Pria would be forced to drift in this void, unable to react properly, trying to reach out, yet her mirrored self stopped her. "Please, Just forget them! Worry about ourselves!! W-We don't need to risk our life for-"

"Will you shut up? You are being a parasite now.." Her other self was taken aback by her real self's words. The Reflection tried to convince her again.

"Why would you even risk something like this!? Just let them die and-"

"I SAID....SHUT UP!!"

"WHY DO YOU EVEN CARE ABOUT THOSE KIDS!? THEY KILLED PEOPLE!! WHAT MAKES YOU THINK-"

"IF I CAN'T HELP THEM, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT MEANS FOR ME!?!? I'M A HEALER, DAMNIT!! I'M SUPPOSED TO HELP PEOPLE!! DID YOU SERIOUSLY FORGOT THAT!?" Pria's words were being expressive for the first time in her life. Her cold and calculated expression shifted dramatically to that of vitriol and anger. So much so that her reflection would yelp and try to back herself away, trying to look away from her eyes. "WELL!? DO YOU!?! DO YOU NEED A REMINDER AS TO WHY I DO THE THINGS I DO!? THE THINGS YOU'RE TOO FRAGILE TO EVEN DO!?" Her bark was loud and strong, making her reflection physically shaking. Before she even uttered a word from her whimpering mouth, Pria spoke up once more, taking a deep breath as she calmed herself. "It seems like you do. I will say it once and once only. The Reason why I do the things I do....is because I WANT to do it."

"I don't care what happens to me. If it means saving another's life....I will do it, no questions asked."