Chapter 83: The Room.
Inside the room, furniture was thrown everywhere. In the middle of the room was a large circle with drawings in red blood, drawn very meticulously with extremely detailed motifs.
Around were many books, cups, sticks,... and stones with different colors.
Seems this was some kind of ritual, looking quite bizarre.
Ayaka stepped inside, she frowned as she observed the room, a bit bewildered as she looked down at the floor.
"Is it some battle formation?"
She stood close to the edge of the seal and observed once, around were many books and stones pressing on the red patterns, even smeared.
"Will stepping in do anything? Best not to."
Looking at the room once more as if to reconfirm and increase the sense of safety. She looked out the door for a moment then turned back and looked at the seal under her feet.
"Now what to do? I also don't understand clearly about formations, how to research? Or now find in these books."
Finished thinking, she set about searching because she couldn't think of any other reasonable way.
Bowed down and picked up the book under her feet with a quite eye-catching cover with red mixed with yellow. Straightened up and opened it.
…
After a while searching, Ayaka seemed to have looked at many books and found nothing worth mentioning. She was a bit disappointed and let out a sigh.
At this time, she opened another book just picked up and read each word in the book. Because the reading ability was quite poor she read very slowly.
"Use your own blood as the connection cord bound with it."
"Chains – imprison the body."
"Eyes closed – obscure the wisdom."
"Dying flame – extinguish the power."
"Hands faced down – refuse freedom."
"The price to pay must be reasonable, the seal then begins."
"If many people perform it they need to coordinate, if not will pay the price."
Ayaka frowned slightly after finishing reading. She flipped to the next page wanting to know more and see if there was anything else.
The side page was a circle exactly like the circle on the ground, drawn quite detailed.
The other side was a quite long piece of text.
"The performer needs to read the incantations in turn, if losing focus, wrong rhythm, or pausing for a small empty segment. The seal immediately backfires and kills all those trying to perform it."
"O source of darkness, I call your name.
You have crossed the boundary, now return to the abyss.
Let the sealing door open!"
"From (number of people standing in directions, if one then stand in middle, the fewer people the harder to perform) directions converging, (number of people) souls cooperating. My flame burns bright to show the way. Let it be locked tight by this oath!"
"By blood, by bone, by unyielding will. My chains wrap around you for a thousand lifetimes. You cannot escape!"
"From darkness, return to darkness. From nothingness, return to nothingness. This seal is complete."
She was very bewildered and surprised at the information above. Stood still for a while and read once more to confirm.
…
Feeling there were no more words, she closed the book, face full of thought and mess.
"So that's it, this is the seal used to seal the monster."
She glanced back at the drawings on the ground for a moment and was a bit confused.
"The seal is in the basement, but the circle is here. Surely this room is to try out how the seal works."
Holding two books in hand and staring at them.
"Currently the man is unclear if mad or anything, but surely he cannot seal anymore. Since he sealed once already."
"So this trial needs all four people in the group to seal that weakening monster back. Sounds simple, but must pay some price is the first thing. Second is needing to coordinate, surely will be very hard."
She looked once around the room, nothing worth noting anymore after she wasted a heap of time reading all the books on the ground. Holding two books in hand, she suddenly froze for a beat before some threat, sensing someone standing behind her.
Thuck!!!
The sound of piercing through flesh rang out.
Before being able to react or turn back to do anything. The sword pierced through her body, Ayaka opened her eyes wide in stunned shock, mouth bleeding, body stiff. The sword tip shiny and sharp pierced through her body, the sword tip still dripping her red drops of blood down onto the ground.
The man growled:
"Monster thing, dare to find out about these? You want to free it? Don't dream."
…
Ayaka was standing in the room, she had just finished reading everything in the book. Immediately folded it, she was extremely tense and worried.
Turned and ran out the door and peered searching everywhere, she was wanting to see if the man had returned home or not.
Without hesitation, she immediately ran outside and urgently ran along the hallway with anxiety.
"Must run as early as possible, staying here long what if he returns and skews me a few times then it's over."
She ran down the stairs, but did not turn back and go into the basement. She ran straight ahead, seemingly wanting to go out by this way.
"Now running that way is quite not okay when facing Airi and Takeshi. Best just run outside, after that I will try to find some other house that is lacking me or just started the loop. Like that there will be more time for me to explore the last room."
Flung the door open, fortunately there was nothing outside waiting for her. Without hesitation as in front was a horrific large torrential rain, black clouds covering the sky. She just like that ran outside.
"Have to bathe in the rain again."
She took two books and placed them on her head to shield from rain and ran straight without turning back. Hurried running steps, stomping on large puddles making it splash onto her clothes that were drying, now wet again. She didn't care, because anyway having gone out then must certainly be wet.
After a while running, she stopped to breathe, although no one chased but just run far and whenever having a sense of safety then stop.
Turned back and looked back behind, only rain made her vision blurry, making the distant houses also blurry like an ancient painting. She still breathed from fatigue, two hands still held two books on her head to shield from rain.
"This distance is safe already."
Turned back and looked toward the far and very blurry distance with black houses like a painting of a night scene.
"Currently gathered quite a bit of information already, generally the mission is to seal that monster. The hard point is still when sealing there can be mistakes."
"If so then now I need to find another house lacking me, after that along with the people in there try sealing the monster."
Her breath was gradually slowing and breathing evenly, no longer rapid breathing, complexion also returned, and was relaxing spirit and body to a certain level that she allowed.
"Currently probably need to find the items that the book wrote. Likely it will be in the last room, and that could be the storehouse, where he keeps things. I have a hunch it's certainly so."
Glanced around once again, knowing there was nothing, but like a form of self-reassurance when no strange thing appeared further.
She started walking and finding a room lacking her, or thinking of a way to break in.
Walking in the horrific large rain like a waterfall, the feeling of standing below, the large raindrops like small stones falling making the body heavier day by day. The raindrops kept falling on the two books she placed on her head, two hands held tight. They made "patter patter" sounds when falling on the rough leather of the book. She didn't care and just like that walked, pushing aside all those sounds, sometimes when walking like that, the thing she feared most surely was herself slipping and falling here.
Walking to a house, she didn't hesitate, eyes glanced once and just like that walked closer.
Standing under the roof shelter which was flowing large streams of water down from two sides like bamboo water lines, but quite fierce.
She looked back outside, the sky pitch black and heavy rain. Weak light, like it was even darker than the day of the most crescent moon. A bit surprised at the terrifying overwhelm of the black clouds extending like infinity... But she wasn't gazing at the sky or rain, but she was making herself more comfortable.
Quickly returning to the main issue, she turned and pressed against the old wooden door, but not too dilapidated. Two eyes glued to the crevice on the door, the crevice with small black wooden bars interlaced like a fence structure.
Inside there was no one, the room empty, not a single person, not a single sound echoing back. Looking into the room with that dim light, she also grasped the situation.
"Um. Seems the people in this room could have just had a loop happen, or happened a long time ago but still sitting in the room."
Stood straight again and no longer peered inside to observe. Right hand held two books very tight, left hand propped on hip.
"What to do now, if just finished looping, if I step in there will be another Ayaka also in here immediately, like that it's not okay. Best should leave, try to get some room that is lacking myself."
She turned and left. The two books again were placed on her head to shield some part of the raindrops. Her two hands were not yet over the fatigue of having to hold for long, now had to hold further.
Stepped down and stomped on a small puddle. She started walking on, finding a place lacking herself in it.
"Suddenly I feel I hate rain so much, don't feel like it anymore. If it's like this what if I get sick, also don't know if the trial has those things, hope not, otherwise it's over."
She walked slow steps in the rain, lightning flashed from far away brightening the whole black sky then turned off, after a while the sound of thunder rang out making the earth as if shaking and wanting to collapse.
"I've been out for a very long time, but don't feel hungry, surely there aren't more of those trivial problems. But if not probably will get sick anyway."
Her thoughts changed and then stopped for a beat when thinking of something.
"Wait, if a room every one day loops, then the fullness will return to normal after looping, right? Like that one doesn't feel hungry."
She sighed, feeling quite worried, still walking in the rain.
"Why do I keep feeling worried? A feeling that getting sick will be possible, I am soaking in rainwater a lot already, very likely, but don't know when."
While walking, glanced eyes up on her head, as if wanting to look at the books, but glancing up just for show since how could she see.
"Likely the exposed paper parts will get wet, not too worried, these books find each man's house will have one for sure. Now generally need to know the last room."
While walking while thinking back on what she had gone through.
"Now thinking back, each room when I step in is like erasing everything back to the start, especially the feeling of worry and fatigue."
She nodded slightly, also felt like that was quite okay.
"That way is also quite reasonable."
…
She walked to a house, silently without a bit of hesitation stepped up and into the shield range of the roof.
But then she froze, eyes wide with stunned shock and extremely bewildered, body trembling a bit.
Before her eyes was another Ayaka standing there, hand holding two books, clothes also completely wet and dripping water down onto the wooden floor. She also wide-eyed with stunned shock when seeing her standing there.
(The newly arrived Ayaka is Ayaka A, and the Ayaka already at the porch is Ayaka B).
The two Ayakas looked at each other blankly, not expecting to meet each other at the same house, and the things in hands as well as bodies being wet were very similar.
Ayaka A, voice trembling, spoke first, cutting through the sound of rain and thunder:
"W-What... is it?"
Ayaka B, voice also trembling full of surprise:
"W-Who... are you...?"
Both at this time realized they were quite bewildered and were trying to calm down, breathing rhythm also returned, face muscles relaxed, no longer tense.
Ayaka A with a normal tone, but asking back with a bit of suspicion and alertness:
"You are Ayaka, right?"
Ayaka B nodded cautiously.
"Correct, I am also Ayaka. So you came from another room to here?"
Ayaka A nodded slightly, eyes not leaving the person standing in front exactly the same.
"Right."
Ayaka B frowned slightly and observed once.
"I guess you want to find some place lacking yourself, correct?"
Ayaka A also didn't bother to hide, because just with a glance it was clear the goal of both seemed to be similar.
"Exactly."
Ayaka B pointed her finger down at the floor to invite. Ayaka A also paid attention and followed the direction of Ayaka B's finger, pointing right at the step up near the place she was standing.
"Sit down and talk, we have the same goal." After speaking she immediately sat down on the steps and looked outside.
Ayaka standing there also sat down, but still quite alert, eyes still not leaving, continuously glancing over.
Ayaka B did not turn over, still kept her gaze outside as if gazing.
"So what information do you have already?"
Ayaka A turned over and observed Ayaka B, she saw Ayaka B was quite calm, so she also relaxed a bit.
"Not much, wanting to find a house lacking me, after that explore the remaining last room of that man."
Ayaka B nodded, also grasped Ayaka A's situation.
"So that's it, exploring it is also right. Because that room is also the last room of the two houses, there's no other place."
Ayaka A was silent for a while and looked at Ayaka B, then only spoke:
"So have you explored it yet?"
Ayaka B shook her head.
"Not yet."
Ayaka A was quite surprised, but didn't show anything.
"Then seems you came here like me. Now what to do?"
Ayaka A turned back and looked at the door of the house.
"Is anyone in the house?"
Ayaka B nodded helplessly and let out a sigh.
"There is, so that's why I'm standing out here. I'm quite tired so stood for a moment to rest a bit then met you walking over."
Both were silent for a long time, mood sinking, no one spoke a word, eyes both looking out as if gazing at the rain.
Ayaka A still kept her eyes straight looking far away, she spoke:
"So you are prepared to go search further?"
Ayaka B nodded tiredly, eyes sinking.
"Only that way, what else?"
Ayaka A suddenly asked:
"Don't know... if I or you are real?"
Ayaka B was sitting looking down at the ground, she was very surprised at the question and turned to look at the person with the face exactly like her looking forward.
She didn't answer immediately, silent looking for a moment. Then turned back and away together. Smiled lightly, but the smile quite stiff and crude, not soft at all, seems that was also her biggest fear at the current time.
"Who knows? I even thought you were transformed by the trial."
Ayaka A smiled and nodded slightly, she relaxed further.
"I also suspected so, but all power is reduced. Fighting is impossible anyway."
Her voice rose a bit, seems her spirit also better than before:
"Anyway we have the same goal of escaping."
Ayaka B smiled and nodded, she turned back and looked at the door, after that again returned.
"Of course, it will be hard for us to have a private talk like this. Seems only this part before the door is the intersection between the house and the outside."
Looking far away, at the very end of vision there were only black clouds.
"But I am quite curious if you or I escape, then what will happen to the remaining person?"
Ayaka A still calm, but she still took a long breath in and exhaled. Bowed down and looked at the two books placed in her lap.
"I also give up on that, I think if you escape then outside you will become me, while we will forever be in here and cannot escape outside."
Ayaka B was bowing down and picking at the leather part of the book as if her hand was just bored and playing a bit.
"Sounds truly cruel, so I am not you but have everything the same as you."
Ayaka A smiled lightly. Seems both were relaxing with each other already, no longer alert. Surely partly because they were the same.
"Cruel? But generally it's just like those wandering phantoms going to find everywhere that will belong to them. Maybe at this moment we are sitting talking, there is some us that has escaped long ago. And I and you in here are like trying in vain."
Ayaka B brushed her light purple hair which was very matted and hanging down covering her eyes up.
"Sounds truly reasonable, but who knows that no one has escaped yet? Maybe I or you will be the first person to escape."
Ayaka A smiled, a bit happy.
"Hope so, then at that time I will make a grave for you, okay?"
Ayaka B smiled lightly.
"I haven't died yet? But being trapped is also like dying, right? Then just do it."
Ayaka A nodded.
"Yeah."
Both no one looked at each other, both lowered vision low and looked at the large raindrops falling into the puddles in front and splashing very high.
Ayaka B again spoke first and asked, as if cutting through the rain with loud sounds.
"So what do you think about everyone? We are each other, I truly want to know."
Ayaka A propped her hands on her legs and rested her face in as if to lean to be less weary, face in thought looking straight ahead.
She spoke with a gentle tone:
"Everyone is quite good, and also just interacted briefly so haven't understood clearly yet, in the future while going, while understanding each other further then it'll be fine."
Finished speaking, she turned and smiled at Ayaka B:
"But if can escape or not."
Ayaka B stared at Ayaka A who was smiling.
"I see, you also think just like me."
"Bringing everyone outside is truly great. But events like this make me quite afraid."
Ayaka A tilted her head in confusion.
"Afraid? Afraid of what?"
Ayaka B smiled when seeing Ayaka A questioning.
"I'm afraid of everyone dying, the feeling just at this age that if anything happens is truly very scary."
Ayaka A smiled realizing. She turned away and looked at the black clouds hovering and obscuring all light.
"Generally that I'm also quite worried about, but what can be done, what comes just comes, must be ready to face it."
Ayaka B nodded, bowed down and stared at the book on her thigh.
"Um... can only be so."
Ayaka A lifted the wet shirt away from her body, it made her uncomfortable and she complained:
"Damn it, being wet feels so uncomfortable. I truly want dry clothes to change."
Ayaka B didn't look at the book, eyes looked at her thigh, the pants soaking wet. She let out a sigh of helplessness.
"Just try to endure it, what else can be done, we must definitely complete the trial. These things consider as things not worth caring about, why care much? Often loses focus."
Ayaka A nodded and let out a sigh that could be heard clearly, but the loud rain sound had drowned out all the breath sound already.
"Sigh, so be it."