Tasogare-iro no Uta Tsukai:Volume2 3rd Play

3rd Play: I Wanted to Escape, But For Some Reason, I Couldn't Abandon It

Part 1

The sound of the fan, the sound of the clock’s second hand counting time, and— the sound of the students’ pencils quickly scratching.

The students glared silently at the sheets of paper on their desks.

Sitting in rows in the large classroom were seventy students listening to the lecture. But out of those, probably only a tenth of them were actually writing furiously.

……Like I thought, is it too difficult for first-year students?

At the front of the classroom, after giving the students a brief glance, Enne crossed her arms.

When students entered Tremia Academy, they had each selected a color to specialize in. The students gathered in this classroom were the ones who had chosen [WhiteArzus]. When they entered this high school, they should have had at least some basic knowledge about their chosen color. Because of that— She had listed the small spirits that could be called out under [White’sArzus’s] Noble AriaSecond Scale Recitation and explained their differences and similarities compared to small sprits of other colors.

This was the topic that Enne had prepared.

However, the students had difficulty making comparisons with small spirits of other colors. Although they could write about the spirit of their chosen color, in other words, Pegasus, only a few students remembered the characteristics of [Yellow’sSurisuz's] small spirit, Will-o’-wisp.

……They’re only first-year students, so it can’t be helped.

She breathed a small sigh as the preliminary bell rang, signaling that morning classes were almost over.

“Everyone, I’m sorry. It was unreasonable of me to expect that you could write about the other colors. It’s fine to skip those sections and finish only the parts about [WhiteArzus]. Those of you who are finished can hand it in and break for lunch.”

Sure enough, the students who had been complaining until now looked more relaxed.

“That’s right, Sensei was being too unreasonable!”

“Well, if I had asked you guys to only do this, you would have finished an hour ago.”

The students chatted as they handed in their exam sheets. When the line at the front of the room had dispersed, there was a mountain of paper on the podium. After that, the shadows of the students disappeared out of the classroom.

Was this everyone?

Rearranging the messy stack of paper, she looked around the classroom once again.

“Oh?”

In the corner of the classroom sat one last person. The figure of the single student sat in an inconspicuous location.

“What’s wrong? It’s fine, you don’t need to do anything unreasonable.”

“Nn, but there’s only one color left that I can’t write about. I somehow wrote about the other four colors already.”

Looking down at her page, the student muttered.

“It was fine to only write about [WhiteArzus], so isn’t it already excellent that you can write about the other colors as well?”

“……Umm, but that’s the problem, Sensei.”

The student finally raised her head. Her tanned, boyish features gazed straight at Enne.

“I wrote about all the colors other than [WhiteArzus]. But I can’t remember what to write for the required one, [WhiteArzus].”

—Ada Yung.

She wrote about all of the colors except [WhiteArzus]? What did that mean?

“Can I take a quick look at it?”

She picked up the sheets of paper on the desk.

……What is this?

Keeping her hand still, she looked over what was written on the page.

Will-o’-wispsSmall yellow spirits— Their outward appearance is a yellow sphere floating in the air. They do not speak the human language, but can understand simple commands. As for their size, statistically speaking, ninety-five percent of them are within 70 to 100 cm. One as large as 113 cm has been officially recorded. They float 60 to 80 cm above the ground and their movement speed is slow at 3 km/h. Because the abilities of Reciters are different, they can exist for roughly five hours. When they use their power, it shortens the time they are able to remain existing.

They give off a pale radiance when preparing for battle, so caution is necessary. They then extend pale tentacles that give off a high-voltage electric current to electrify the opponent. The speed at which they can stretch their tentacles is ten times their movement speed. The length of their tentacles is the same as the diameter of their body, although the longest ones have been recorded at 167.3 cm. They have at most three tentacles, which have a diameter of around 1 cm. Although they can attack horizontally or straight up into the air, they are unable to stretch their tentacles directly below them.

There are not particularly any special points to mention about them.

Difficulty to suppress: easy.

She didn’t mention anything at all about the catalyst and <OratorioSong of Praise> that were essential to Reciters. Instead, she described in detail its biological features. It wasn’t knowledge necessary to conduct a Recitation. Or rather— Was this data necessary when confronting a Will-o’-wispSmall yellow spirit?

“Difficulty to suppress…… Easy?”

“Ah!”

As she murmured those words, the girl grimaced.

“Did I write that? It’s just a habit from a long time ago.”

“No, it’s not really a bad thing to write.”

She flipped through the pages. Things about the Recited creatures of other Recitation colors were written there. All of them consisted of detailed descriptions. They also didn’t mention catalysts or <OratoriosSongs of Praise>. It was simply a thorough, overwhelming list of biological data.

Perhaps she didn’t have enough time to write about [WhiteArzus]?

—No, that’s not right. She really could not write about it.

Ada Yung Gillshuvesher. Looking at the name that was written on the page, Enne finally understood the reason.

SalamandesSmall red spirits, AerialsSmall green spirits.

“Everything written on here is about offensive Recited creatures, isn’t it?”

The girl gave no reply. More than anything, her silence confirmed Enne’s guess.

That’s right. Pegasi and unicorns included in [White’sArzus’s] Second Scale Recitations did not possess offensive traits. Therefore, she hadn’t learned about them.

It was like Enne had thought. All of this girl’s knowledge of Recited creatures was for the sake of fighting against them.

“Must I write about [WhiteArzus]?”

The student had on a troubled expression.

“Well. Since you’ve written so much already, just add something like ‘……Compared to what’s written above, there are few of [White’sArzus] small spirits that have offensive characteristics.’ You can hand it in like that.”

“Ah, I see! So something like that also works!”

Nodding vigorously, the girl turned her focus back to the pages.

—Eh, she’s not blinking?

Suddenly, Enne noticed that the girl’s concentration was quite strong as she wrote quickly. It was different than how she normally acted in class. Enne had thought that she usually seemed to be easily distracted during class and wasn’t a very enthusiastic student.

“Here, Sensei, I did it! Whew, it’s finally finished.”

The student cheerfully tidied up her desk. As she shouldered her bag, Enne called out to her back.

“Hey, Ada-san.”

“Hm?”

“This is a personal question, but your father is Klaus-san, right?”

Her bright expression suddenly changing, the girl’s eyes darkened.

“……Well, that famous person is something like my father.”

Klaus Yung Gillshuvesher. He was the head of the Yung family of noble warriors and the leader of the several hundred GillsheExorcists.

GillsheExorcists— They were people who had the closest connection to Reciters but at the same time were also complete opposites.

[Nussis], also called the Reverse Song, is a technique to send back Recited creatures. It can be conducted by holding a catalyst and directly touching the creature. For example, in the incident during the recital contest, in order to save Enne, Xins had used the Reverse Song by sacrificing his left arm. That technique was always dangerous.

“Do you also have an GilExorcist Spear?”

In response to that question, the girl unhesitatingly nodded.

“If a person is born into the family of GillsheExorcists, they will definitely have one.”

The Reverse Recitation was dangerous because it required directly touching the opponent. Therefore, a technique had been created to conduct the Reverse Song by using a spear instead of bare hands.

Gems of all five colors were embedded into the tip of the spear so that by piercing the target with it, the [Nussis] technique could then be used. A spear which undergoes that special treatment is called an GilExorcist Spear and a person who specializes in that technique is called an GillsheExorcist.

“Being from the Yung family, are you not thinking of going down the road of an GillsheExorcist?”

“……Who knows.”

The girl spoke ambiguously. Judging from her expression, she didn’t seem to be concerned about it.

Currently, other than the Yung family which was the main family of GillsheExorcists, there were also several other branch families. For many generations, children born in those families had traditionally become GillsheExorcists. Because the main Yung family was the originator of such practices, they were traditionally treated as important people and given escorts. Even now, the warriors had a wide-spread status.

Ada Yung. If she wished, she could become well-known as Klaus’s successor.

—No, there was no mistake that she had been practicing GillsheExorcist techniques.

This was indicated clearly by the results of her mock exam. Her knowledge was probably not something she had learned from books. All of her knowledge, just like her trained body, was something engraved into not her brain but the marrow of her bones.

“……Well, unfortunately, it seems I don’t have much talent when it comes to that.”

“Talent?”

“Yeah, yeah. When there are so-called practices or drills, I immediately run away.”

Clasping her hands behind her head, Ada laughed with a self-deprecating expression.

“……But……”

Before she could finish speaking.

“Hey hey, Sensei, can I ask you one more thing?”

What could it be? Enne’s gaze encouraged her to continue.

“Enne-sensei is the homeroom teacher of a higher grade, right? Why did you come to teach at the first-year students’ summer school?”

“One of the teachers in charge of first-year students isn’t very healthy. Because of that, I was called to join in at the last minute.”

That was one of the questions she had assumed the students would first ask. She smoothly replied with her prepared answer. That’s right, she had expected it to suffice as a response.

“Ah, that’s a lie.”

Suddenly, the girl’s gaze became penetrating.

“Eh?”

“If that was the case, then there would be no reason for Zessel-sensei to come as well. You said it was at the last minute, so I have to accept that. Sure, there is a teacher in charge of first-year students who didn’t come to summer school this time, but that teacher used to talk happily about coming on this trip, so it doesn’t make sense that the teacher’s health is the reason.”

Her thorough reasoning put Enne at a loss for words. As she was arranging it with Zessel, she had certainly thought of this. But, she didn’t think there would be a student who would think this deeply about it in the first place. In her mind, she had underestimated them.

—But she had never expected this girl, of all people, to ask about it.

Usually, no matter who talked about her, they would say that she was a troublesome child who was often late to class. Enne hadn’t expected her to notice such a trivial issue. Even her teacher, Kate, hadn’t told Enne about anything like that.

……What to do? Should she hastily make up a lie? Or should she vaguely talk around it?

“Um, that is…”

When she started to speak, the bell signaling the end of morning classes rang.

“Oh, it’s finally lunchtime!”

In a completely different manner than the tense atmosphere from before, Ada turned around and ran towards the exit of the classroom without saying anything.

“Eh, w-wait! Ada-san?”

“Sorry, Sensei, but everyone in my class planned to go to the beach together this afternoon!”

Saying those words with an innocent smile, the girl quickly ran away.

“W-Wait!”

The moment when Enne began to chase after her—

The world outside the window flared up in scarlet.

“……Eh?”

The large classroom that she was in was on the second floor. Although she couldn’t clearly see everything from the window, a strange, raging fire burned before her eyes. It was a scarlet color more vivid than pure red. Rather than the color of flames, it looked more like the color of fresh human blood.

—Just what is going on?

It was an endlessly large scarlet inferno, as if even the heavens were burning. Because of the brightness, she couldn’t fully open her eyes. Outside the window should be a view of the plaza close to the schoolyard. If she remembered correctly, Zessel had made plans to teach a Recitation practical skills lesson there at this time.

Then was this Zessel’s doing? No, even using all of his power, he couldn’t call out these monstrous flames. In the first place, there was no reason for him to do such a thing in a practical skills lesson.

She gazed at the flames that dazzled her eyes, and then— Suddenly, the radiance went out.

“The flames disappeared……?”

The chain of events that quickly happened one after the other had made Enne unconsciously hold her breath.

The calmness from before was already returning to the world outside. As she watched, the sparks that had entered the classroom also faded away.

She quickly ran to the window. But looking down at the plaza, she didn’t see a single person.

Neither the students nor Zessel could be found. In other words, his lecture had already ended. Then sure enough, that wasn’t Zessel’s Recitation. Just who—

“Enne, are you there?”

Loud knocks came from the classroom door.

“Zessel!”

A rattle sounded as she opened the door. Her unusually well-dressed coworker entered.

“Zessel, did you see the flames in the plaza?”

“Yeah, it was so bright that I couldn’t not notice it.”

In an easygoing manner, he spoke with a cheerful tone and nodded. In other words, he didn’t seem to be moved by what had happened.

“Do you happen to know who called out those flames?”

“Ah. When I was giving my lecture in the plaza a while ago, there was a single person whose hair color was unique, so I became interested. And then after the lecture ended, even though the other students returned to the school building, only that person didn’t go back. And when I couldn’t help but observe from the shade, it happened.”

No way, were the flames just now Recited by a student? A student still in their first year of high school?

“Who is that student?”

Although Enne taught students in higher grades, she knew about students in other grades who excelled in Recitations. Even among first-year students, there were several students who she had begun to take notice of.

However—

“No, you wouldn’t know who it is even if I told you.”

He slowly looked up at the sky, as if pondering something.

“How can you be so certain?”

“……Because she wasn’t one of the ones we were keeping an eye on.”

Muttering in an unsure tone of voice, he shrugged his shoulders.

“Enne, do you remember the student who called out a lot of red feathers at the recital contest?”

Red feathers? In Recitations, feathers were not considered very difficult to call out. In the recital contest, there was a student who had Recited many birds instead of feathers and gotten a lot of attention. Even she remembered the face of the student who called out the birds, but in the case of feathers…

“……Nobody immediately comes to mind.”

“Don’t think too hard about it. I also couldn’t remember at first.”

During the recital contest, that student had been at the same level as the others. But by the time of this training camp, she had already improved to the point of catching Zessel’s attention.

“So that’s how it is. I don’t know what she experienced from the recital contest up until now. But if she keeps developing at this rate, I’ll have to take note of it.”

As if Zessel seemed happy, his voice rose in pitch.

“Next year at this time, she will undoubtedly surpass other students of higher grades and become one of the top [RedKeinez] students. No, that might even happen in the middle of this year instead of next year. Anyways, in my point of view it’s slightly scary. She’s just an unpolished gem.”

“As a teacher, isn’t this a good time to show off your skill?”

“Well said. ……But still, I feel slightly uneasy.”

He continued speaking in a vague manner that was unusual for him.

“After they succeed in a Recitation during the lecture, most students would happily come and tell me about it. But that girl was different. I guess it could be described as absentmindedness. She had a scared expression, and it felt like she wouldn’t talk to me unless I spoke first.”

Recitation is a ritual to praise the thing one wants to call out. Therefore, there are essentially no cases where one is surprised at what they Recited. Instead of being scared, her expression should have meant something else.

“Well, those are just my unreasonable fears. I mean, I hope they’re just fears.”

Although she knew the flames were already gone, Enne once again looked out the window and down at the plaza. In any case, there didn’t seem to be anything they could do about that girl.

“Thanks, I get the general situation now. I was worried. At first, I thought it was something the students had persuaded you into doing.”

“……Ah, really?”

As if he was sulking, Zessel turned away. Honestly, how child-like. As she laughed at his actions, Enne walked down the hallway in front of him.

“Well, let’s go. If we’re slow, we might not be able to make it back on time today.”

—Their destination was the place where the <Egg> had been manufactured, Kelberk Research Institute.

Part 2

“Well, let’s end it here for today.”

The teacher in charge of the class, Kate, closed her textbook.

“Alright. Thank you very much.”

“It’s already lunchtime, so I’m sorry that it ended a little late.”

“N-No, it’s fine…… It’s because I haven’t learned about this before.”

Putting the textbook into his bag, Neight frantically shook his head.

Tremia Academy’s courses were based on a credit system, so other than the essential subjects, students could freely choose the courses they wished to take.

The course that Neight had been taking was one of the required subjects concerning Recitations, historical studies. This was an area he had learned nearly nothing about before being enrolled in Tremia Academy.

“Like I thought, was it too difficult studying one-on-one with a teacher?”

Gazing at him with a wry smile, Kate asked, amused. This course was one that his other classmates had all finished taking before summer vacation. Because of that, the left out Neight had ended up coming to one-on-one lessons with Kate.

“……Difficulty-wise, it really is hard.”

“I’m glad you’re being honest.”

The teacher smiled happily.

“By the way, that Rainbow Color Reciter was also bad at this subject.”

“Xins-san, you mean?”

“The director of education secretly told me about it. She used to be Xins-san’s teacher.”

The director of education, Jessica. He had met her only once when he was enrolling into this school. After that, he didn’t remember having ever talked to her. She was often by the headmaster’s side, and rather than being a teacher, she now seemed to be more like the headmaster’s secretary.

“Was Xins-san an outstanding person ever since he was a student?”

“When he was a student, his grades seemed to be around average in his school. Or rather, he didn’t seem interested in school lectures. And that includes the history that I was just teaching you. How contradictory, that a person whose name would be remembered throughout history wasn’t interested in studying history himself.”

—Speaking of which, Mother hadn’t taught him about Recitation history either.

Was that by chance, or was it something inevitable? In this aspect, Mother and the Rainbow Reciter were probably quite similar to each other.

“Now then, enough of our useless talking. Let’s go eat lunch. If you don’t hurry to the cafeteria, your seat will be taken!”

Ah, oh no! Speaking of which, hadn’t he been invited by Mio-san and Kluele-san to eat lunch together?

“Please excuse me, but I’ll be going on ahead!”

Carrying his bag under his arm, Neight hurriedly ran down the hallway.

***

In the hallway outside the first floor lobby, thick lush plants were planted at regular intervals, and a simple roof was built overhead to block the rain.

Leaning back against a beam that supported the roof—

Kluele gazed blankly at the roof overhead. Under the hot sun and hot wind, without wiping her forehead that was covered in sweat, she simply let herself enjoy the tranquil moment.

What broke the silence was the voice of her close friend.

“Ah, Kululu, you’re here!”

With quick steps, the girl with a familiar face ran up to Kluele.

“……Mio?”

Behind her, Neight could also be seen.

“Kululu, you didn’t come even though it was already lunchtime, so we were looking for you.”

“Eh, it’s that time already?”

Rubbing her eyes, Kluele stepped away from the beam she had been leaning against.

“……Sorry, my class ended early, so I was spacing out for a bit.”

“Honestly…”

Puffing up her cheeks, Mio crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“Mio-san and I went to take a look, and like we expected, the cafeteria is crowded. I don’t think there will be a free seat for three people any time soon.”

“It can’t be helped. Let’s go there to just buy lunch, then sit and eat at a bench outside.”

The two exchanged glances and nodded.

“Ah……Mio, sorry, but could you help me buy my share as well?”

“Sure. That’s right, the cafeteria is crowded, so I should just go by myself and buy all of our shares.”

—No, that’s not what I meant.

Kluele had a different reason in mind. But she couldn’t say it out loud.

“……Kluele-san?”

They watched Mio hurry away in the direction of the cafeteria. After a little while, Neight looked up at her.

“Kluele-san, did something happen?”

“What do you mean?”

With his deep purple hair swaying in the wind, he looked anxiously at her.

“……For some reason, Kluele-san doesn’t seem very energetic today.”

Facing Neight, who looked up at her intently, Kluele couldn’t help but close her eyes.

—A part of you is really perceptive, isn’t it?

He had given off that impression since the very beginning. It wasn’t that he was looking carefully at her face. Perhaps he was simply sensitive like that.

“Yeah…… I was just feeling kind of lost.”

Like she was trying to deceive him, she tried to let out her best fake laugh.

……But what should she say? She couldn’t find any suitable words. Therefore—

“Hey. Don’t you feel scared?”

Kluele spoke honestly, the terribly direct words coming out of her mouth without being embellished at all.

“Scared?”

“About Recitations.”

His eyes widened, perhaps because he couldn’t guess the meaning behind her words. ……Like I thought, my question sounded strange.

“Hey. A while ago, didn’t you see a huge blaze of fire that came from the plaza?”

“Ah, I saw that!”

With an excited expression, the boy spoke.

“It was amazing, wasn’t it? Even Kate-sensei, who was with me at the time, was surprised. It seemed like the other teachers went to investigate the cause of that. Because of that, my lesson ended a little late.”

“—Neight.”

“The one who called that out was me.”

“…………Eh?”

There was a silence that lasted for more than a few seconds. Neight stood there, forgetting to breathe.

“That can’t be…… No, but…… No way, it was Kluele-san?”

“You can’t believe it, right? But it’s true.”

That’s right. It was natural that he couldn’t believe her right away.

Because after all, she couldn’t even believe it herself.

“During the recital contest, I unexpectedly called out the PhoenixDivine Bird of Dawn, right? After that, I felt a bit strange. You might think what I’m saying is a bit weird, but…”

She took a breath. As the faint sound lingered in the air—

Looking down at the palms of her hands, Kluele apprehensively continued.

“My Recitations are going too well.”

“Too well?”

Shocked, he repeated her words like a baby.

“Sorry. I might seem like I’m bragging, but…… That’s really not the case. I’m actually really scared.”

During this morning’s practical skills lesson, the Recitation she had conducted to solve the situation had been done so easily that she had thought it was strange. Without even singing a OratorioSong of Praise, the time it took for her to Recite had only been a few seconds.

No, it wasn’t just that. She had also involuntarily thought that the Recitations of the other students were terribly immature.

Their imagination and OratoriosSongs of Praise had been too childish. She had easily been able to see through the parts of their Recitations. She had felt the illusion that there was nothing she couldn’t do in Red RecitationsKeinez.

“Surely I’m misinterpreting it. Speaking of which, when class was over and I was left alone, I secretly tried to Recite some fire…… The catalyst was ordinary red paint.”

The result was that tremendous flame. She was truly glad that nobody had been nearby when it happened. If there had been someone close beside her— They wouldn’t have received just a burn.

“……That was really scary.”

With both hands, Kluele hugged her own body. It wasn’t that she was cold or that she was shaking. It was because her agitated heart and scalding body felt nearly painful. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t subside.

Perhaps it was a side effect of calling out a True Spirit during the recital contest. Surely it was because she was still in a state of excitement. But that also seemed wrong.

“I don’t want something like this to happen! I didn’t call out the Divine Bird for this purpose……”

She felt like the higher-grade students she had seen at the recital contest, who relied on power and violence. What would she do if she overestimated herself and her Recitation ended up spontaneously discharging? It wouldn’t be like the five-colored hydra back then, but there was definitely a chance that she could call out something dangerous.

When she had realized that possibility, she had felt cold and light-headed.

“That’s why I suddenly feel afraid of Recitations.”

Before the sound of her words vanished…

“—But......”

The boy who usually acted quiet and reserved said in an abnormally strong tone of voice.

“But, I don’t think Kluele-san will become like those higher-grade students or conduct such a scary Recitation.”

I’m happy you’re saying that. But, it’s useless. I……

“After all, I believe in you.”

Please, right now, don’t look at me with those eyes.

“Thank you…… But, I’m sorry. I can’t even believe in myself right now.”

She involuntarily averted her eyes. His excessively straightforward gaze felt painful to the point of hurting.

“—Kluele-san.”

Suddenly, his tone of voice changed.

“Please. ‘I can’t even believe in myself’……Please, please don’t say such sad things.”

Although she should have averted her eyes, she couldn’t help but turn her gaze towards him—

Like the surface of an overflowing fountain.

She couldn’t help but look at his shaking, quivering black eyes.

……Neight?

“Kluele-san is not someone who can't believe in herself. Because after all, Kluele-san is feeling this scared.”

Suddenly, without warning—

“……W-What’s wrong?”

He gently grasped her hand in both of his.

“H-Hey, Neight?”

“It will definitely be alright. If it’s Kluele-san’s Recitation, no matter what it is, I won’t be scared. If your Recitation is scary, I will be there together with you.”

N-No, that’s not what I meant. My hand…… Why so suddenly—

“It’s a good luck charm.”

The boy smiled. From the corner of his eye, a small droplet appeared.

“Kluele-san did the same for me during the recital contest.”

……I did?

‘It’s okay. I will stay with you. Let’s call it out together.’

What had happened on that day replayed in her mind, word for word.

“I love Kluele-san’s Recitations. They are more gentle and beautiful than anyone else’s. They’re lovely. ……That’s why, please, don’t say that you can’t believe in yourself.”

He spoke in a stammering manner, the flow of his words anything but smooth. Even so, he tried his best to convey his feelings as strongly as he could..... And those feelings reached her.

—I see.

So you believe in me that much.

With an odd sensation, something blossomed in her chest. Painful at first, it was a strange feeling that couldn’t be put into words, but that feeling gradually changed into a gentle warmth.

I had always thought that I wanted to do what I could for you. ……But, I was wrong. I was actually making you worry so much about me, wasn’t I?

“Um, could it be that you’ve forgotten what happened that time?”

With lonely eyes Neight looked up at her, who had been silent all this time.

“Don’t be silly. There’s no way I would forget.”

With a finger, she poked the forehead of the boy who was gazing at her.

“……That hurts.”

“It shouldn’t hurt. You’re a boy, aren’t you?”

Like she was teasing him, Kluele winked.

—I’m sorry for making you worry.

But, I’m a bit relieved. I won’t say that I can’t believe in myself anymore.

“……Hey.”

Somehow, you’re a really strange person.

Sometimes I think of you like a little brother to take care of, and other times I think of you like a friend who gets depressed easily. You should be just a normal classmate, but— For some reason, I can’t leave you alone. I think of you as someone very important to me.

I still don’t really understand it.

“I wonder what to call the relationship between us.”

Hey, what do you personally think?

“Eh, r-relationship? Umm…… classmates?”

After thinking it over for a while, he replied seriously in a troubled voice.

Yeah. That’s definitely true for now, but—

“But hey, don’t you think that might change from now on?”

“Change?”

“Fufu, I wonder.”

“Eh, please tell me!”

Looking up at her, the boy puffed up his cheeks. It was such an innocent gesture. Like she thought, he might still be a bit unreliable to become a knight who protects his princess.

“I still don’t understand it either. Well, never mind that. ……Ah, Mio’s back. Now, where would be a good place to eat?”

“……That’s not fair, Kluele-san!”

“Come on, we have to hurry and eat lunch. After all, aren’t we going to play at the beach with everyone else in our class this afternoon?”

Part 3

Bright, dazzling rays of heat poured down from the sky overhead. Grains of finely-ground coral seemed to be spread over the white sand. The ocean was a transparent azure blue. The clear waves lapping back and forth seemed to wash away even everyday troubles.

What was called Tremia’s campus was also like a type of private beach. It could be appropriately described as exactly like paradise.

However— Although the scenery was beautiful, Ouma and the male students were interested in another matter.

“……That Neight, he’s attractive, isn’t he?”

In the shade, sitting down on the sandy beach and gazing forward was a single boy in a swimsuit.

“Aah, and to make it worse, he doesn’t even know his own worth…”

Holding juice in his right hand, a fan in his left, and also wearing sunglasses, Ouma reluctantly nodded.

There was a kid having fun playing a game with ten-odd girls in swimsuits.

“Hey, Neighty, go over there! Catch!”

“Eh……Ah, eh……?”

A young boy futilely chased a ball being blown away by the wind. Because he wasn’t accustomed to the sandy beach, he ran unsteadily, his sense of balance even more off than before.

“Ah, ah, ah—!”

The unreliable boy yelled. Soon after, the ball fell onto the sand with a quiet thump.

“Ahaha! That’s no good, Chibi-kun.”

“But he’s so cute—”

“Yep. I’ll forgive you because you’re cute! I mean, it’s more fun this way!”

The cheers when he failed to catch the ball were louder than when he succeeded.

It wasn’t that he made a particularly amazing play, but that the times when he missed were funny. The girls found those times more amusing.

“……Is that it? Is that the charm of the young thirteen-year-old boy?”

“For a boy, his face looks quite androgynous. He’s also short and fragile. To the girls, is he considered more like someone to tease, or someone to play around with?”

In the beginning, they had been wrong to not consider this boy as their rival. In reality, he was a formidable enemy who had transferred into their school.

“Hey, speaking of which, where did the other boys go?”

Some of them had gone to a nearby convenience stand, while others were having fun diving in the ocean. Even though they were each doing what they wanted, there still seemed to be only a few people.

“Hm. Look at that over there.”

Ouma nodded in that direction. There, holding the ball that she was playing with and frowning, was a blonde girl with a childish face, as well as a girl with scarlet hair who was watching with an amused look.

“Huh. That’s strange. According to the theory in the volleyball book…… If I hit it here like this, the ball should fly up. But I don’t understand why Kluele, who hasn’t read any book about this, is better than me……”

“Mio, I already told you, you’re too reliant on books. If you don’t practice for real, you won’t get better at it.”

“……I see. Perhaps you’re right.”

“But more importantly, you didn’t practice swimming either?”

“Yeah, but in that case, if I start reading a book about swimming right now—”

“……You just don’t listen to what people tell you, do you?”

He gazed briefly at the scene.

“What’s wrong with Mio and Kluele?”

“They’re just thoughtless people. Coming on this trip seems to be a good chance to confess to them.”

Ohhh. Letting out a small sigh of admiration, one of the male students stole a glance at where the girls were gathered. Looking at them, he could clearly see the reason why several of the boys had their eyes on them.

Mio Lentear— She had gotten the best in their grade on the written exam and was rumored to be a genius. Along with that, she was also a girl whose lovely smile and calm manner made her stand out. Her behavior of treating everyone equally had earned her deep trust from both students and teachers.

And then there was Kluele Sophi Net. She had a very helpful personality, an unforgettable appearance, and excellent reflexes. Even though she only scored moderately well on exams, that was just another part of her charm.

“So, what was the result?”

“The girls said something like ’……I’m sorry, but about that sort of thing, we still aren’t—’ The several people who were involved are currently feeling heartbroken. They seem to have gone to a part of the beach farther away from here to nurse the wounds in their heart. So, let’s leave them alone for now.”

“……I’ll be next.”

“Stop it. More and more people seem to be having their confessions backfire.”

Throwing him an indifferent look, Ouma pushed up the bridge of his sunglasses.

“Alright, the next person to drop the ball will face a punishment! Whoever drops the ball will have to go to tomorrow’s lectures in their swimsuit!”

While all of the girls cheered excitedly, a single boy’s face paled.

“Eh. W-Wait……I have a bad feeling about that……”

“Well, let’s start, Neighty!”

“U-Uwa! Why is the ball suddenly moving so fast?”

“Oh, wasn’t that a nice catch, Neight-kun. Well, one more time!”

“Eh, W-Why…… No, please don’t— Wah!”

“Tsk. You survived for the second time in a row, hm?”

“U-Umm……Did you just click your tongue just now?”

“Alright, this time for sure! Chibi-kun, I challenge you for the third time in a row!”

“Uwaaa! So you are aiming at me, aren’t you?!”

“Ah, Neighty ran away! Everyone, chase after him!”

“Hey, even though they forbid boys to play with them, why is only Neight allowed?”

One of the boys said in a tone sounding like he had already given up.

“Rather than being allowed, it seems more like forced participation.”

In the afternoon, the male students had all planned to go to the beach together during their free time. When they had gathered, amongst almost all of the students, Neight had been nowhere to be seen.

When all of the boys Ouma gathered had gone looking for him— They had suddenly heard a grating shriek. When they went to take a look…… There was the figure of a boy whose limbs had been bound by several female students and was being dragged far away.

Although they had tried negotiating with the kidnappers for the hostage, unfortunately, the girls’ true intention didn’t seem to be a ransom, but the boy himself.

“……Kuh, is that the charm of the thirteen-year-old boy?”

He had heard those words a little while ago.

“To not be seen as a man, that sure is pitiful.”

“W-Wait a moment, Ouma-san! Please don’t just silently watch, help me!”

Even now, Neight was still running away from the group of girls chasing after him.

“……What did Neight say just now?”

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t hear him either. You probably misheard him. I definitely didn’t hear anyone asking for help.”

Shaking his head with certainty, Ouma took out the magazine he was in the middle of reading from his bag.

……Damn, what an enviable guy.

***

“Ahh. I wonder if the students are playing around nicely at the beach right now.”

Walking down a road covered in sand, Zessel kicked at the pebbles scattered by his feet as he grumbled.

“That’s all they seemed to be doing a while ago.”

Enne, who walked beside him, smiled wryly.

“Mirror is stuck inside the information department, so you should feel glad compared to him.”

“But he hates the ocean. After all, he can’t swim.”

“……Even now, he still can’t swim?”

Mixed into his colleague’s voice was a teasing tone.

According to the books about swimming that I’ve read, using this theory, I should be able to stay afloat— Back in the time of Elfand school, in a pool 1.2 meters deep, just how many times had that intelligent person said those words and nearly drowned?

“Hey, do you remember our graduation trip to the beach?”

“Although it was quite a long time ago, I still do, more or less.”

Letting out a small laugh, Enne covered her mouth with her hand. It wasn’t the ladylike laugh that she normally showed as a teacher, but because Zessel and Mirror were her childhood friends, it was the lively laugh she secretly showed them.

“Since he’s a teacher of Blue Recitations, it’s unusual that he dislikes the ocean of all things.”

Their graduation trip had been five days long. At the very end, only Mirror hadn’t gone swimming in the ocean even once.

“Well, a certain someone had to use a flotation device even when she was sixteen.”

“I can swim now, you know. I already did special training for it.”

“Is that so? Did you pack a flotation device into your bag this time as well? Enne-sensei, you seem to be quite eager to go swimming.”

“……How do you know about it?”

Idiot, I tricked you into saying that.

Annoyed, Enne pouted. Zessel smiled faintly as she did so— Abruptly, their casual conversation died off.

From the sandy road, they turned a corner and onto an area where dry, hard soil covered the ground.

“……Well then, shall we pay them a visit?”

Zessel let out the breath he had been holding.

Kelberk Research Insititute, Fidellia branch.

Casting a backward glance at the name of the place carved into the large brown rock, they stepped through the open gateway.

……So it’s open, huh?

The inside of the facility wasn’t very wide. There were only weeds growing thickly all over the place.

“Is anyone there?”

“Just like it seems, I don’t think there’s anyone inside.”

“Well, to anyone inside, excuse us for coming in!”

At the front door of the research facility, they pressed the buzzer meant to be used by visitors, which was beside the door. A mechanical sound echoed throughout the inside of the building. The reverberations were even transmitted back to them, who stood by the door.

“At least we can confirm that it rang.”

—But why was there no response from inside?

He winked at the woman beside him. As if his intentions had been conveyed to her, Enne silently gave her approval.

While hiding an emergency catalyst in his left hand, he opened the door of the research institute with his right hand. With a rusty creaking sound, the door slowly opened.

“……It’s dark?”

Although he thought that the lights would be on, a curtain of darkness stretched out before him so that he couldn’t see more than a few meters in. Sure enough, something strange was going on.

Sunlight from outside shone through the open door. Little by little, his view of a few meters grew wider—

The scene in the entrance hall reached his eyes.

“…………!”

Enne let out a soundless scream.

Clutching the shoulder of the woman who had collapsed to the ground, Zessel barely managed to keep calm.

……This must be some sort of joke, right?

Stone statues. Or at least, that was what they first thought. That’s right. Decorating the front lobby were things resembling monuments.

After gazing carefully at them however, Enne and Zessel realized that those were not simply stone sculptures. Even if they didn’t want to, they couldn’t help but understand. The sculptures were just too realistic, and too repulsive.

They had read about it many times in things like fairy tales. But until now, they hadn’t believed for an instant that such a phenomenon could become reality.

The features of the stone statue looked afraid. The forms of the stone sculptures looked like they were running for their lives.

—Before Enne and Zessel’s eyes were the staff members of the research institute, who had turned to stone.

Part 4

He heard the sound of small waves lapping against the shore and the quiet sound of his shoes stepping on white sand. Although every step was the same, the sound was different each time, making him unable to get bored of listening to it. To Neight, going on a stroll down the beach while enjoying the sea breeze was a new experience.

“Ah, a seashell!”

Its outward appearance was deep purple, while the inside was red. Neight picked up the bivalve, which had an unusual hue.

“……Should I give this to Kluele-san?”

The sea wasn’t blue like it had been at noon, and the horizon was dyed by the sunset. It was just before night fell. Therefore, it was probably during this time when he felt the closest to the sun.

Suddenly, mixed in with the ocean spray, the sharp sound of something slicing through the air reached his ears.

—Eh?

Directly ahead of him, the figure of a person appeared on the beach he'd previously thought was empty. As he advanced closer, the tempo of the sound increased. It didn’t just become faster, but also more powerful.

Deja-vu.

The girl who swung her spear while bathed in the light of the setting sun overlapped with the image of what he had seen on the rooftop a few days ago.

“Ada-san?”

The first time, he had felt pure amazement. The second time he saw her wielding the spear, Neight finally understood how intense it was.

When he had seen it before, only the elegance of her movements had reached his eyes— But now, along with the beauty of the girl swinging her spear, her sharp and honed actions sent chills down his spine.

Despite the sand underfoot that made it difficult to move freely, there wasn’t any change in her movements. But rather, it made her steps and leaps silent. He couldn’t hear the sound of her kicking the sand.

It was too tranquil. Her movements flowed too serenely.

The spear-wielding club. But what she was doing wasn’t at the level that a mere club member could achieve.

……It’s different. Something is different compared to back then.

Even as an amateur, Neight still clearly understood. Although he had been surprised when he saw the girl up on the roof, her movements right now seemed to go beyond that to the point of making an observer feel afraid.

Furthermore— The girl held the spear with only one hand, but her whole body moved along with it, making it spin at an even higher speed.

That’s right. Back then, on the rooftop, she had dropped her spear.

In her one hand, it turned, rotated, revolved.

Ten times, twenty times, thirty times.

No matter how much time passed, she didn’t drop the spear.

Suddenly, the girl’s movements stopped. She let out a small sigh. She had been moving so much under the hot weather, but her breathing hadn’t changed at all.

“……This is the second time, right, Chibi-kun?”

Seeming like she felt both troubled and embarrassed, with a complicated expression, Ada smiled bitterly.

“U-Um. Is it special training with your spear again?”

“Half right and half wrong. But I guess you could interpret it that way.”

After that, their conversation stopped. Neight thought that she would continue speaking, but she simply gazed at the spear she held with an almost sorrowful look.

“Ada-san, that was really amazing!”

“Hm, amazing?”

“Even though you played around with everyone for so long this afternoon, you’re still doing that special training in the evening.”

Everyone else in the class was currently resting in their room. Even Neight had been sleeping until now, and had only woken up a short while ago.

“Well, it’s already become a habit to me, just like eating dinner. That would happen to anyone who has been doing this for ten-odd years already.”

Ten-odd years? She should have joined the spear-wielding club after entering Tremia Academy, and not more than half a year should have passed since then.

“For Chibi-kun, it’s because of that, right? You want to become a Reciter because you want to complete the Recitation that your mother left you.”

“Yes. I haven’t decided whether I should become a Reciter or what, but first I want to be able to conduct Mother’s Recitation.”

“—I see.”

Tightly gripping the spear, the girl slowly looked up at the sky.

“……Chibi-kun might get angry, but I can’t do something like that. I can’t do anything about it, even though I’ve already run away.”

Slowly, slowly, like she was trying to persuade herself to tell him, the girl exhaled.

“In my case, the family that I was born in is special. Do you know the GillsheExorcists? To put it simply, it’s a group that specializes in sending back Recited creatures.”

GillsheExorcists. No matter how far he reached into the depths of his memories, he couldn’t come up with anything relating to that word.

“……I’m sorry, but I still haven’t learned enough about such things.”

“No, it’s natural that Chibi-kun doesn’t know about them. They don’t call things out, but send them back. They’re not very well-known. After all, they can’t do flashy things like calling out enormous creatures, so their reputation is naturally lower compared to Reciters’. And out of those who do know about the GillsheExorcists, very few want to become one. That’s why being an GillsheExorcist is passed down through the family, from father to child.”

Say a Recited creature was running wild in a certain city. At that time, if another Recited creature was called out to oppose the first one, the battle between those two would probably wreck the city. For example, during the recital contest, if another hydra had been called out to oppose the first hydra, it wouldn’t be difficult to imagine the city turning to ruins.

If that situation were to occur, in order to suppress the Recited creature while keeping collateral damage to a minimum, a Reverse Song is the best option. But for nearby Reciters, for example in a situation with only Mio, Kluele, and other girls, it would be extremely dangerous to try and touch the wild Recited creature.

Therefore, ‘Reverse Song professionals’, who had the knowledge and skill for conducting Reverse Songs and a trained body and mind to oppose the wild Recited creature, were needed.

“That was the reason for forming the group of GillsheExorcists that exists now. Of course, even now, I think the people who are working hard as GillsheExorcists are amazing. After all, it’s a job that requires them to have a strong body and to risk their lives. They can’t skip out on a certain amount of training for even a single day. That’s why they’re people who deserve to be respected.”

But— Letting out a long breath that resembled a sigh, Ada looked down.

“But even so, they aren’t very well-known at all. They don’t even have a specialized school like Reciters do. They just train alone by themselves, inconspicuously. ……The pronunciation of the word GillsheExorcist seems to have a special origin, but my dad won’t tell me. I can’t help but wonder, is it just because they felt inferior compared to Reciters?”

She smiled in a self-deprecating manner. Unsure of how to respond, Neight quietly averted his gaze.

“Ada-san’s father is also an GillsheExorcist, isn’t he?”

“……Yeah. He’s the head of the main GillsheExorcist family, the Yung, and also probably the best GillsheExorcist. Apparently he’s been to many places around the continent and knows many people. One time he gathered together all of his acquaintances, and even that Xins-sama was there.”

“Xins-sama was?”

Among Reciters, there were ten-odd large factions formed based on personal connections and the school one studied at.

There were many merits to being in such organizations, such as obtaining jobs, self-promotion, and meetings with famous people. The names of Tremia Academy’s teachers were probably also classified into a group formed by the school’s administration department. After graduating from Tremia Academy, it was a custom that students would first join that group.

The Rainbow Color Reciter, Xins. From what Neight had heard, for some reason, only Xins hadn’t joined a single association. He had received a lot of invitations of course, and as long as he would show his face to the public, any group would have accepted him as an executive member. And yet, he still liked to act alone, on his free will. A while ago, he had attracted a lot of attention because of that.

“Well, Xins-sama seems to only be willing to participate as an observer. It seems that sometimes, he even comes to visit my home. But usually it’s when I’m at school.”

“……That’s amazing……”

“And it’s not just Xins-sama, but many other people as well. My dad has many colleagues who people would think of as strange or amazing. In fact, that gathering seemed to be something more like a hangout.”

Neight was speechless. Ada had such an amazing father. That’s right. That’s what a regular human would think, that it was an astonishing thing.

But— The eyes of the girl who had told him all of this trembled with a sad color.

“I was born as the heir to that great leader, so…… I sometimes feel pretty restricted. I have a predetermined daily routine, a predetermined path, and a predetermined future. Even though other children played with their friends, I was always by myself, gripping my GilExorcist Spear.”

The gemstones on the tip of the spear shone. Those were probably the catalysts used for sending back Recited creatures.

She had called her spear an GilExorcist Spear. Speaking of which, the spear he had seen from when she had been practicing on the rooftop was a simple spear with no such workings.

“……You noticed?”

Like she was smiling while crying, she faintly curled up the edges of her mouth.

“Because I’m always used to use an GilExorcist Spear, my body is used to something of that weight and length. But the spear-wielding club has spears of its own designated standard, so things like its weight are completely different. Because of that, I don’t feel comfortable using it…… I often make mistakes when using the club’s spears.”

Back on the rooftop, when she dropped the spear, Neight remembered how she had glared down at it. Now, he felt that he better understood the meaning behind her gaze at that time.

“Are the spears used by the club and your GilExorcist Spear that different?”

“No, not really. It’s just that I’ve become too used to my GilExorcist Spear. I know its weight up to 0.1 grams and its reach up to 0.1 millimeters. That’s why I’ll be thrown off if it’s even a bit different.”

0.1 grams and 0.1 millimeters. She spoke those words like it was completely natural.

But was something like that really possible? At least for Neight himself, he couldn’t even remember the length of the pen he normally used, nor did he have the confidence to take a guess.

“Ada-san, could it be that you can use the Reverse Song and several colors as well?”

The technique for using the Reverse Song was similar to that of normal Recitations, meaning that one had to understand each color separately. Then in the case of someone who specialized in sending back Recited creatures…

“……Yeah. Even though my memory isn’t that good, in order to use the Reverse Song, I’ve remembered the details of several colors.”

The way she said it made it seem like learning the Reverse Song was easier than learning Recitations. There were probably teachers in Tremia who were masters of several colors. But that was different when it came to students.

—But Neight had never seen this girl bragging about such a thing.

She wasn’t the type of person to lie. But still, Neight couldn’t believe it so quickly. Because what she had just told him was something that went against his common sense.

“If I say it, I’ll just be called an idiot. This guy was……my first friend.”

Hugging the spear embedded with gemstones, the girl stood up straight.

“No, not just a friend. It’s already become like a part of me. We’re always, always together. No matter if it’s weight or length, there’s nothing we don’t know about each other— There’s that kind of connection between us.”

……But even that’s not important anymore.

Her hoarse voice softly flowed out from her small lips.

“For just a little while, I wanted to try going down a path other than what my heritage decided for me. The truth is, my mother has qualifications as a Reciter, so I was interested in Recitation schools ever since I was young.”

“……I see.”

“I made a lot of friends after coming to Tremia Academy. Although it can’t be compared to Chibi-kun’s situation, I’m really glad I came here.”

After being blessed with many friends and joining a club, she had enjoyed school life from the bottom of her heart. Neight could tell from the way that Ada normally behaved.

But— He couldn’t understand.

“Ada-san.”

There was just one thing, one thing that he couldn’t understand at all.

“But if that’s so, why are you still practicing like this with the GilExorcist Spear?”

That’s right. Why? With trembling lips, Ada muttered to herself as if she were speaking a soliloquy.

“……I don’t understand very well either. But it’s probably because I don’t want to regret it anymore.”

Regret?

“Yeah. I don’t want to have that dream anymore.”

That dream. Regret. What did that mean?

No matter how long he gazed at the girl’s face, the depths of her wavering eyes hid something important and only reflected a distant scenery.

Part 5

“……Even the folds on its clothes have been made this accurately.”

Without touching it, Zessel moved forward as close as he could to the stone statue in front of him.

There were around ten stone statues. Although he hadn’t seen it yet, Zessel felt that even the fibres of their clothing had been created perfectly. At first, simply seeing the look of fear on the statues’ faces had been enough. The statues portrayed a realism that couldn’t be matched by simple carvings.

“It seems like we were right.”

“These people have been turned to stone…… I can’t believe it……”

His colleague, the female teacher, staggered back. Patting her shoulder forcefully, Zessel advanced a step forward.

“Enne, don’t touch the statues. We don’t know what tricks there could be, so we need to be as careful as we can.”

“—I’ll contact the headmaster.”

Enne spoke like she had suddenly thought of it.

“Let’s wait until we have more to report.”

That’s right. After all, they still hadn’t gone beyond the entrance hall of the research institute. Beyond this, farther inside, what could have happened? At the very least, they needed to investigate the cause of this situation.

“……Right.”

A white light penetrated the darkness in the hall.

“Let’s go.”

In Enne’s left hand was a white sphere of light she had called out.

“Please, could you illuminate the way in front of us and slowly advance forward?”

Although it had the appearance of an inanimate object, it was actually a light fairy that was categorized under Prime AriaThird Scale Recitations. When it sensed danger, its light would turn off. It was a Recitation that the EnneWhite Reciter liked to use when exploring.

The light was able to illuminate up to ten meters ahead of them. Within that area, there were no more stone statues. At least they didn’t have to worry about that for now.

However, instead.

—What’s with this ash?

Gazing down the hallway, they slowed their steps.

Scattered in a corner of the hallway was a large amount of ash. Was it the remains of something burning? No, if that were the case, there should be burn marks inside the research institute.

“I don’t know what it is, but we probably shouldn’t step on it.”

“That’s true— Huh?”

A sound suddenly reached Zessel’s eardrums. The scraping noise made him reflexively turn around.

“What’s wrong?”

Enne, who had been taking the lead, stopped. Before Zessel responded, he first needed to confirm if anything was behind them.

Nothing was there…… Was it his imagination? Was it just his nerves acting up?

“No, It’s nothing.”

As he spoke, the light of the light fairy suddenly vanished.

“Eh?”

At the same time as Enne spoke, their surroundings once again became engulfed in darkness.

The light fairy suddenly turned off? Moreover, it turned off quickly, too quickly.

Like they expected, something was in the research institute with them. Something alive!

——[Red SongKeinez]——

With the catalyst he held in his right hand, Zessel called out a handful of flames.

Although it wasn’t as bright as the light fairy, he could see a few meters ahead of him with this…………

At that moment, he couldn’t believe what he saw in front of him.

……Hey, wait a moment. ……What is it…?

From the wall beside Enne, who had been walking in front of him— Like it had been fused with the grey wall, a large snake with scales of the same grey color slithered forward.

“Enne, get down!”

“Eh?”

His sudden warning backfired. Taken aback, Enne turned to look in his direction. In other words, she turned her back to the mysterious snake. The snake lifted its head……

“Enne!”

Opening its mouth, the snake attacked.

There was no time to hesitate. With all of his strength, Zessel pushed his vulnerable colleague towards the opposite wall.

The sound of something piercing his shoulder echoed out. The sound was so amazingly detailed that there was no time for him to feel afraid.

However, the sharp pain of the snake’s fangs piercing his shoulder was real.

“……Agh!”

“Z-Zessel!”

There was no time to respond to her call.

With his right hand, he grabbed the head of the snake that had bitten his left shoulder and refused to let go. Using all of his strength, he tried to pull it off. But the snake’s fangs tightly latched on.

“You……!”

He grabbed the flames that he had called out to use as a light, and thrust it directly at the snake’s head.

Burned by the flames, the snake floundered back and forth. Gripping the snake by the neck, Zessel quickly pulled it away from his shoulder. With all of his strength, he slammed the struggling snake onto the floor. The snake lay on the floor, paralyzed. Although it was still alive, it was unable to attack a second time.

When he shifted his gaze towards his shoulder to check the bleeding—

“……So that’s how it is. I finally see the trick behind this.”

“Zessel……Your shoulder!”

Enne yelled hoarsely.

His left shoulder was turning to ash-grey stone. There was no pain or discomfort. But just like it wasn’t his own arm, no matter how much strength he used, anything below his shoulder wouldn’t move.

So this was the cause of the stone statues in the entrance hall.

“Think about it later! First, we need to get out of here! This research institute is dangerous!”

They ran back through the hallway they had walked down, but after a few seconds, the two of them froze in their steps.

……There shouldn’t have been anything back here……

Grey reptiles filled the hallway they had come from. On the walls were snakes identical to the large snake that had attacked him. From even the ceiling to the side walls were bodies of snakes slithering forward. At the very least, there were ten of them.

He recalled the mountains of ash in the hallway. Had they been hiding inside? But there was one thing he couldn’t understand. What was the reason behind going so far to prevent intruders from leaving?

If their purpose had been to prevent people from entering the research institute, then there would be no need to hide these Recited creatures. They should have acted threatening from the very beginning, in the entrance hall. Rather, it seemed like they had been inviting people inside the research institute—

“……I see.”

He gripped the shoulder of Enne, who remained standing.

“Zessel?”

The snakes blocked the exit and sealed off the path back. Naturally, there was only one path left for intruders.

That’s right. The rascal who created this was definitely urging them to go further into the research institute.

“Enne, we can escape inside!”

Giving Enne a push from behind, Zessel ran down the corridor.

Farther into the research institute.

---