Some time had passed, though how long was unclear.
Sparkle, panting heavily, leaned against the door, her petite frame slumped on the floor, sweat beading on her forehead. "…Huff, little gray-hair, are you sure this will work?"
"It's… it's been half an hour already! Why are we still not out?"
Stelle: "How would I know? I don't decide these things! We're nowhere near resting yet—get up and keep going!"
Sparkle clicked her tongue, reluctantly continuing to brace herself against the door. She thought this method was utterly stupid. If it weren't for the fact that the usual way to get out was too perverse, she definitely wouldn't be doing this.
—"Help! Save us!"
—"Is anyone there?!"
—"We're trapped inside!"
—"Passersby, please help!"
…
The two had been shouting at the door for half an hour, but no one passing by had heard them.
But just moments ago, Stelle had mentioned that, according to the original plot, she was supposed to encounter Acheron and Black Swan in the hotel. If those two took pity on them, maybe they could get out without having to XX.
Though Sparkle thought this plan was idiotic, with no better options, she had no choice but to go along with it.
A Masked Fool's base stats were just too low. If Stelle was dead set on that, Sparkle might actually be powerless to resist.
Just like how March 7th had overpowered her earlier.
"…We won't be stuck here forever, will we?"
After an indeterminate amount of time, Sparkle suddenly spoke, her voice dejected. "I came to this other universe out of nowhere, haven't even had the chance to do anything, and now I'm going to be trapped here like some clown… No way, not like this!"
"How about… we just try it?"
Stelle: "? What are you talking about?"
Sparkle clutched her head, shouting in despair, "I'm saying I don't want to be stuck here forever! Should we just try it?"
Stelle: "Have you lost your mind? If you actually tried that, you think March and Firefly would let you off?"
"I'm not talking about that!" Sparkle clenched her tiny fists. "Do you remember what happens if we 'die' in the Dreamscape?"
Stelle froze. "You mean…"
"Exactly! You stab me with your Preservation Lance, and when I end up in Dreamflux Reef, I can return to the normal Dreamscape and find someone to rescue you!" Sparkle's expression was manic as she spread her arms wide. "Come on!"
Stelle furrowed her brow, thinking for a long time before finally saying, "No way."
"Why not?! It's our only option!"
Stelle calmly analyzed, "First, we don't know if Penacony's death mechanics in this world work the same as the original. What if you die in the Dreamscape and your mind gets obliterated, turning you into a vegetable?"
"Second, if anyone's getting stabbed, it should be you stabbing me, right? You've got no connections in this world—how are you going to call for help to save me?"
"Little gray-hair, you don't trust me!" Sparkle's eyes widened. "We're townsfolk!"
"Townsfolk or not, does that mean you wouldn't scam me? Besides, you're the original Sparkle—don't you know your own reputation?"
"You…!"
Seeing that Stelle didn't fully trust her, Sparkle couldn't come up with a retort. She put on a pitiful expression. "Little gray-hair, for the sake of our long acquaintance, just stab me, okay~?"
"You can stab me however you want—I'll totally cooperate!"
"If you're so cooperative, wouldn't we already be out by now?"
Sparkle: ?
Sparkle: "Isn't that just nonsense?"
Stelle: "Who says? My big bat's pretty sharp too!"
Sparkle's lips twitched. "Have you considered that if you stab me first and then stab yourself, we'd both be able to get out?"
Stelle (exe. not responding): …
Stelle: "Oh!"
Right!
Why didn't she think of that earlier?
"Go, turn around and brace against the wall. I'm coming." Stelle pulled out her Preservation Lance, grinning.
Sparkle: "? What's with this weird pose? I refuse."
Stelle clicked her tongue. "I told you to turn around so you don't get nervous or scared. Bracing against the wall is to keep you steady."
"This is my first time doing something like this—I don't have much experience. If I don't take you out in one hit, wouldn't you suffer for nothing?"
Sparkle ground her teeth. Though Stelle's words made some sense, why did it still feel so… bizarre?
She obediently braced against the wall and said, "Hurry up… do it."
Stelle raised her Preservation Lance. "Here I come."
"Do it!"
"It's coming right now!"
"Stop talking! Just do it already!"
Swish—
The Preservation Lance pierced Sparkle from behind, tearing through her body and turning her into a puddle of memoria liquid.
Success.
Stelle turned the lance on herself, about to give it a go, when a click sounded from the door, and it swung open automatically.
?
The door opened?
The corridor outside exuded an indescribable eeriness. Stelle stood stunned for several seconds before it dawned on her—could it be that since Sparkle was gone, the escape condition couldn't be met, so the door just opened on its own?
Lady Sparkle died a noble death!
…
A few minutes earlier, on the other side.
Tap, tap, tap…
Sensing the creature approaching from the depths of the corridor, Firefly and March 7th paused their combat, their gazes locked on the darkness ahead.
What was that? It felt… so oppressive.
The dim lighting cast a shadow on the floor. It looked like a memoria meme, its body primarily purple and black, with slender wings adorned with colorful eyes—terrifying and unsettling.
The sound of footsteps grew clearer, and the memoria meme drew closer. Just as Firefly was about to act, March 7th suddenly stopped her. "Wait."
"What? I'm not going to fight you for this memoria meme. If you're interested, you can take the first shot," Firefly said, glancing at her.
March 7th narrowed her eyes. "Haven't you noticed? It's clearly a memoria meme approaching, so why are there footsteps?"
Firefly froze at her words. Indeed, if that was the case, didn't it mean that what was coming toward them wasn't the memoria meme, but…
"…Sigh, I clearly told everyone that the Reverie Hotel in the Dreamscape is off-limits, yet some disobedient kids always make things hard for an old soul like me."
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows. It was a blue-haired boy, carrying a memoria meme several times his size on one shoulder while dragging the recently injured Duke Inferno with his other hand. His small stature made him easy to overlook.
The boy narrowed his eyes, scanning the two girls. "One stowaway and… a Nameless."
"Leave now, and no one gets hurt. Otherwise, you'll both die."
=====
New Story posted:
Crossover: My Daily Life as a Transmigrated Psychic