Lie:verse Liars:Chapter 1

――It was by chance that I found that girl.

　I immediately sensed that she was a "newcomer" who had just started to see as she carefully observed the "hole” that had formed in the park square in front of the station.

　I could have ignored her.

　But when I saw her sitting on the bench, I decided to call out to her.

And so, I went through the "hole" with her and stepped into the “false world.”

“....Where are we?”

It was a completely different place from the park square we were in earlier.

If I were to describe the scene of this "false world" in a few words, it would be “a city of ruins abandoned in a desolate land.”

A cluster of towering buildings stood before us in the parched land. The concrete roads are cracked in places, and the decaying telephone poles sticking out of the ground at an angle gives the atmosphere a strangely nostalgic feeling. This place, which does not seem to be breathing any life at all, is a city that has come to the end of its life.

The girl had expected the "hole" to be "an entrance that might lead to somewhere," but when she saw the scenery on this side, she could not hide her surprise.

On the other hand, I'm already used to seeing this kind of scene, so I mutter "I see, so this is what it’s like this time.” while looking around the area.

The area around the "hole" that serves as the entrance to the "false world" seems safe as usual. Before I spoke to her, I checked the app on my phone and confirmed that there was no one else in this "false world" at the moment. Judging by the situation, the people in charge here are still investigating that matter.

For the time being, I’m going to talk to her with “I don’t know what’s going on, just like you” attitude, so she will continue to behave like that so that I can speak with her.

“I had no idea that the entrance was connected to a place like this...... what should we do now?"

“Well......how about going up to that building over there? There’s probably a nice view there from the rooftop.”

The girl seemed very curious about the place and pointed to a tall building a little further up the street.

“Sure. Let's go up there then.”

I took her suggestion more out of curiosity rather than confusion, I started walking with her down the concrete path that leads to the abandoned buildings.

　But then I realized that I had forgotten the most important thing to remember.

“Come to think of it, I just realized that I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Urasaku Rintarou. People call me by my nickname Ura.”

With a smile, I say my “pseudonym” as I exhale.

The girl stares at me as I said my fake name.

“Urasaku Rintaro……I see. You look like you would have that kind of name. Maybe it's because it fits your face.”

　 What kind of reaction is that? I've never had anyone say that to me before. No, it's a pseudonym, so it's only natural that she would think that way.

She doesn’t know that the original name of this pseudonym just popped into my head at random, I feel a little conflicted as someone who knows what kind of character's name it is.

I regret that I should have chosen a different alias.

"What's wrong... Uhm, Ura?"

"You don't have to be so fidgety by just calling me by my nickname. It’s making me feel embarrassed."

"Yeah, you’re right. Sorry."

No, even if you’re cute enough to be shy enough even through your dark mask, I just can't help but feel guilty because I lied to her and gave her a false name.

“So what's your name then?”

First things first, you have to introduce yourself and then ask for the other person’s name.

It is a common courtesy to do this when you want to get close to someone.

Then the girl said

“Eh? I have no intention of telling you my name.”

In this situation, with this development, I was completely rejected. This was the first time I have ever experienced this.

“.....Why?”

“That’s because I’m not sure whether Ura is a bad guy or not.”

It seems that she is a girl with a strong sense of privacy who can properly suspect the other party.

Calm down. At least she wouldn’t be deceived by some bad guy who uses a pseudonym as his name.

“What should I call you then?”

The girl thought for a while then opened her mouth in embarrassment.

“Well…. How about ‘Rabi’?”

“Rabi….Rabbit huh? I see that’s good. That name suits you.”

I honestly thought it fit her well. This girl radiated some sort of rabbit-type energy. She looks like she would run away like a rabbit if something happened to her.

So, for the time being, we seem to have become close enough to call each other by our “pseudonym” and “codename”.

We maintained a good sense of distance as we walked toward the building.

Rabi’s steps were light, as she curiously looks around as she walked.

“By the way, when did Rabi start seeing that thing?”

“By that thing, you mean the entrance we went into at the park square right? …..Well, I’m pretty sure I’ve probably seen that since it’s definitely from this morning.”

“...You’re talking as if something is stuck in between your teeth.”

That was a unique way of saying it. I’d like her to clarify whether she means “probably” or “definitely” though.

“I’ve been going to the library recently, so I walk by the park square every morning. There was no entrance like that yesterday though. It might not be “I probably started seeing it this morning” but more like “An entrance appeared here this morning”.

“Ahh, I see. That’s why you added ‘probably’ to ‘definitely’”

My question to her was supposed to be, "When did you notice it?" she would have answered, "This morning," but since my question was, "When did you start to see the mysterious phenomenon?" she answered, "Probably this morning.” (TL note: wtf was he saying here. I have no idea how to translate this part sorry. Probably how noticing something is different from seeing it. Uhhh other translators please help me.)

Once I concluded, Rabi looked at me.

“Ura is strangely detailed in explaining things.”

“The same goes for you too Rabi.”

“Yeah, that’s what people often say to me. They say ‘Nobody really cares about small details like that.’”

Rabi has a slightly sullen expression on her face. Her face looked grim like she just remembered a bad memory.

“On the other hand, since when did Ura start to see that thing?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t really remember when I started to see it.”

I remember seeing that “hole” for the first time around a year ago, but I don’t exactly remember the exact date, time, and the number of seconds so I can’t quite answer that question.

“....I don’t trust you.”

“I have no idea what the reason behind that sudden statement was, but I often get called that by other strangers. I wonder why? Do I look that much of a bad person to you?”

“Yeah, you do.”

“I see—”

“But…. taking a look at you again, I might just be wrong.”

Once she said that unexpected comment, I look at the back of Rabi walking in front of me. The emotion I felt from that statement naturally relaxed me as I loosened my lips.

　The most important thing to remember is, to be honest with yourself.

“Is it possible that you followed me here?”

“Well, I just don’t like to make judgments about someone I barely know.”

After chasing Rabi, who walked a little quicker, we arrived in front of the abandoned building we had set our sights on.

At first glance, the building was eight stories high. There seemed to be no danger of it collapsing, but it had an eerie atmosphere.

“Let’s go up.”

I stepped into the building from the entrance before Rabi and checked inside.

There was no sign of anything lurking around. It seemed safe for the time being.

There is an elevator, but it obviously doesn't work, so I start climbing the stairs in the back.

I started to climb the stairs at the back of the building.

“Huh? Since when did Ura wear gloves like that?”

It seems that Rabi who was following behind me noticed the black gloves that I wore on both of my hands.

“Oh, I just put these on just now.”

“Why though?”

“That’s because both of my hands are delicate.”

“Oh, I see.”

We continued exchanging conversations like that while walking up the stairs. I occasionally looked back at Rabi because she just needed to take a breather from time to time, but then she would continue following me with no problem.

We arrived at the rooftop.

The rooftop looked quite ordinary. The area is surrounded by an iron fence, just like the ones you would see in the real world.

Unlike me, who was just leaning against the iron fence while staring at the scenery, Rabi walked slowly around the rooftop as she starts looking around the scenery in 360 degrees with great interest in her eyes.

“This place looks like some sort of dystopian world. Like the ones you would usually see in movies.”

“It certainly feels like the apocalypse.”

"The sky is not cloudless, and it's covered with something like a dim curtain. There's no planets like the sun, moon, or stars that could be the source of light for this world, but you can see the scenery clearly. Why is that?"

“.... I wonder why too.”

"It's strange, isn't it….this world? The horizon doesn't seem round. I wonder if a corner of this world actually exists"

"..."

"Hmm, maybe we are on a flat earth that is inside a round sphere."

"What is that 'Reverse Earth Spherical Theory'-like discovery?!"

This kid just said something amazing! ...No, it actually fits! She got it correctly! How can you know that just by looking around from a slightly higher place?! I mean, her point of view isn't even normal, and if you ask her about it, she'll talk about discoveries that you think are amazing and make it sound obvious, which is pretty awesome to hear!

I have felt this since we first met, but there is something unique about Rabi that doesn’t even seem normal.

“How old are you Rabi?”

“I’m a high school student. What about you Ura?”

“I knew it.”

Rabi, who was walking slowly on the rooftop like before, glanced at me.

“Well, I guess it's just normal to think of me as an older senior.”

“Do you want me to speak to you in a more formal language then?”

“Since we have signed the Treaty of Equal Relations, I will refrain from using formal language.”

“I'm glad you said that, it makes me feel more comfortable. So? What do you think of this world, Doctor Rabbi?”

I ask her jokingly.

“I would rather be called a researcher than a doctor just so you know.”

That was an unexpected response.

“Why?”

“Because it sounds cuter.”

“.....Uhm, okay then, researcher Rabi. Do you know anything else?”

Rabbi, who had come up next to me, answered my question as I was leaning against the iron fence.

“I really don’t know anything. I wonder what this place really is.”

“You seem to be having a lot of fun.”

“I don't know why, but it's interesting learning about the unknown. Besides, there's no one else here, so I can do anything I want and so far all I’ve been doing was nothing but having fun.”

“That's also a pretty interesting opinion.”

“Is Ura thinking about something else then?”

"Normally, you'd be a little nervous or creeped out by being in such a mysterious place, wouldn't you?"

"Hmm... But I can't see Ura’s thinking that way at all."

“You really think so?”

“Leaning against the iron fence and gazing at the scenery makes me feel relaxed, or rather, I feel like I belong here.”

I couldn't help but wryly smile at Rabi's gaze as if asking about my own complexion.

“It seems I'm one of those people whose thoughts and actions seem to be at odds with what I think and what I do. Sadly, I am often misunderstood by other people because of this.”

“If you were just lying, it wouldn't be a misunderstanding, now would it?” “Eh? Is it possible that you think I’m a liar?”

“I doubt it.”

“By how much?”

“Uhm, maybe about 8 to 2?”

“Do you suspect me 20 percent of the time?”

“No, more like 80 percent of the time.”

“That’s pretty dark. I would be a bad guy then.”

With a smile on her face, Rabi took her eyes off me and turned her attention to the distant scenery.

"I guess so. It seems that I'll have to give up then."

"...... You always keep looking backward. Isn't it better to bet on the possibility that what I said isn’t true?"

"It's not a gamble. Everything has already been done when I'm here with you Ura. Everything has already started and the characters have already been cast. If Ura is cast as the bad guy, then that's it, it will never change."

"Then why are you aiming for a one-shot reversal? I might change your mind and become a good guy."

"I don't do that kind of wishful thinking. It can never happen anyway."

Just by looking at Rabi, I feel that those words that she said are from the heart, and I can't help but feel something indescribable.

"...Then? What's going to happen to the punchline of this funny joke, Researcher Rabi? In terms of atmosphere, it's not going to fit well unless it makes me burst with laughter."

When I asked her in a joking way, Rabi gave me a dumbfounded look.

"Huh? Was it a joke? I was serious the whole time."

Seeing the serious look on her face, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"... Huh? Why are you laughing?"

"Okay, I learned enough to be sure that Rabi is really funny."

"Wait a minute! I didn't even do anything!"

“Yeah, yeah it's okay. It was really funny, in my opinion.”

“How was that even funny just now?! I really don’t understand, I don’t get it! Tell me what’s so funny about it?!”

Rabi was trying her best to get to me with a desperate look on his face. But suddenly, her gaze is directed somewhere else.

"...Hey, Ura. I just saw something move over there just now."

I pushed her away from me and leaned on the iron fence to look in the direction she was pointing.

　It certainly looked like something just moved, but it hid behind a building that was a blind spot from this rooftop.

　It seemed to have spotted them.

“Let's go take a look at it. Maybe we can find out something.”

Rabi rushes down the stairs by herself.

“Ah, hey…”

--The moment I saw her back, I felt a tingle on the right side of my neck.　

　I stopped and pressed on the tingling spot with my right hand.

"... well, that’s enough."

It's fulfilled its original purpose, and now there's no need to hide it.

I'll keep my distance and follow her.

We left the abandoned building to confirm what Rabi had witnessed from the roof, but there was no longer any need to do that.

"Ura, hurry up, please!"

A monster several times bigger than herself appeared in front of him.

　An unexpected encounter.

It looked like a beast. It was a huge four-legged monster that looked like an eerie mixture of a tiger and a bear, something that would never exist in the real world.

　The creature stood up with its paws raised, opened its big mouth, and roared at Rabi standing in front of it.

“Bugyaaaaaa!” (this sound fx sounds so stupid but I swear it really sounds like this from the raw version)

“Fugya—!”

In response to this, Rabi didn't even react...but simply let out a strange scream.

The monster raises its right hand high above its head and swings down at Rabi.

Immediately after that, a cloud of dust rose with the rumbling of the earth.