Chapter 150 (1/2)

Volume 2

Chapter 129

That day, I did something because I let my heart get away by thinking too much.

「H, hey, Leone, where did you come from so quickly?」

「I’d like an explanation…」

「Seeing me like this looks bad, but I don’t know myself.」

During the school’s lunch break, I quit class and went to meet Spinne with Dan and Zank.

I didn’t even explain why, I just took the other three off campus.

「Neither Minnalis or Shuria came to class today.」

I spoke those few words as I started moving.

Lately, the days where I couldn’t read Minnalis’ actions continued, and I couldn’t come to grips with why.

However, today she didn’t come to school either.

Yes, just that, just that thing, made my worries increase more and more.

「Just that? I mean, it’s no big deal…」

「I just have a bad feeling about this. …when I feel like this, I mean…」

Spinne looked confused, and bit her lower lip.

「Heh heh, where are you going with an expression like that?」

Then, the person who invited me to that reality I could never return from suddenly came from outside the school.

「Shuria…chan.」

That smiling, innocent girl stood there, looking the same as usual.

But this time, she felt different. TOTALLY different and it unnerves me.

「Hmph…I knew it, you don’t want to just hear talk, hm? You’ve got some special guess or thought on your mind? Well, I’ll show you if you follow me.」

She had a light smile on her face that might be seen by others as scorn.

Her tanned skin that looked like a symbol of lighthearted cheer now seemed to absorb and darken the sunlight.

With Shuria’s skin setting off an impression like that, she suddenly spun and walked away.

「Um, what…are you doing?」

「Just as you said, Leone. I’ve got a bad feeling about something.」

「For now, all of you can just follow me.」

Shuria walked ahead of us, making sure she didn’t lose us.

She didn’t talk like she usually did as she lead us to a place with lesser people.

And then, we arrived at our destination. Although it was still afternoon, it was devoid of people.

In an area right before we entered the slum, there was a small place to eat.

「This place…has a silence barrier around it?」

「Just take a look…you’ll see.」

「No, let me take a look first.」

「I’m not talking to you, Zank. I’m talking to Leone.」

「…」

I said nothing, as Shuria’s voice faded.

I unconsciously used my 『Basking Pupil』to see the colors inside of the building.

Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, Purple, Light Red, Grey…all of the colors mixed together, but what seemed to highlight it all was that it was missing a color of the shadows.

Different types, a melting pot of many warped and ominous colors.

However, the color warping all the others was a color I had seen before again and again.

「…ah…」

The door that seemed to suck me in was finally opened by me and I saw…

…a world of evil magic filled with laughs and emotions corrupted and rusted over.

「…Minnalis…chan? Wha…t are…you doing?」

「Oh, Leone and friends. You were a bit too early. Are you skipping classes? Well, still good timing. I finished my first round, hee hee hee.」

Confusion filled our voices.

There were countless dead surrounding someone that had fallen to the ground.

Then, with the dead, Minnalis stood laughing bewitchingly, with her face covered in blood.

「W, who…who is that?!」

「What, what have you done, Minnalis?」

「It seemed that Leone was the most correct. The others in your group…」

「!! Answer us! What have you done!?!」

Our voices shouted out in a chorus of confused, mixed emotions.

「What did I, do? You can see for yourself. You’ve always come to stop me, right? Heh heh heh, HAH HAH HAH HAH!」

「Gyaaaahhhhh!」

Those quiet words suddenly transformed into a scream, as Minnalis shifted the sword in her hand to the other, and then stabbed it into a person lying on the ground without pause.

「Who are you…!? Is that person, Keril?! Why is he here?」

「You certainly have been unfair. You assumed that I’d think he was in Kikitto, when he was right here and you’d think I wouldn’t notice?!」

「Gigggah?! Agh! Ugh!」