Lie:verse Liars:Chapter 3
“I can't believe it! I thought that I was going to die!”
I walked away from the park square to an empty alleyway and put Rabi down from my carry as soon as she became enraged.
“Well if you’re that energetic, I guess you’re fine.”
I said as I took out my phone to use it, Rabi glares at me menacingly.
“I was really embarrassed back there! So many people were staring at me!”
She had been quiet just a few minutes ago, but when no one was around, she exploded with emotions and complained one after another.
“I think people will come here if you keep on yelling and screaming too much.”
When I pointed this out to her with a grin, Rabi shut her mouth with a muffled “Mugh.”
Rabi, who seemed to have managed to calm down, turned her gaze in the direction of the park square where she had just been.
“Hey, Ura. What was that fake world, the Gisekai? Was it...... that 'hole' in that park square? What was that all about?”
In response to Rabi's serious question, Ura opens his mouth while still using his phone.
"This is going to sound a little strange, but would you believe me if I told you that there is actually a special space on the backside of 《Morihama City》 which is the city that we are currently living in?”
“I've experienced so many impossible things in a row recently, and it's no wonder that I have doubts. I still believe you anyway, so....... are you saying that the "fake world" is not somewhere else, but it's in a special space that is on the other side of the city?”
“As expected of Researcher Rabi. That’s a perfect guess. And what is the "hole" that only we, the "Awakened," can see? Well, it is a "hole" created at the boundary between the front and back sides of the city, where they would never normally intersect.”
Rabi listened intently to my explanation with a "Hmhm" as I continued.
"The space behind Morihama City is called the “void”. Nothing exists there, but only a myriad of evil concepts floating around. These evil concepts are called "fake beasts"."
“That must be those monsters from the False World, right?”
I nod.
“By using certain special materials, the “Fake Beasts” have succeeded in creating a limited world within the “Void”, where nothing else originally could exist.”
“So that's what the “False World” is.”
“I talked a little about it on the other side, but the “false world” is constructed by copying various things in the real world which is where we are. The fake beasts are in the fake world they created and that's why they are able to take on the forms they have.”
“You mean like that rabid-looking monster?”
It seems that she still remembers the "fake beast" that attacked her in the "false world".
“But when that happens, what worries me is what are the special materials that the “fake beasts'” will need to create that “fake world”'.”
“Oh, good question. Researcher Rabi seems to be a good listener.”
“You’re flattering me. What kind of materials do the beasts need?”
“----Humans.”
Rabi's eyes widened as I continued to calmly explain.
“To be exact, they're young people about our age. With just one of them, a whole “false world”' of that scale could be created.”
“What exactly would they do to that person......? Do they kill then sacrifice them?”
“I would call that them being conscientious. It is as if they are treating the human as pillars to keep them asleep and to maintain the construction of the “false world”.”
“So you are saying that somewhere in the false world we were in earlier, there is a child who is being held captive by the fake beasts?”
“Yeah.”
Rabi crosses her arms and begins to think.
“…Does that mean that there are more “False Worlds” that are like that thing from earlier?”
"That's a good guess. In fact, Morihama City has those kinds of 'holes' popping up all over the place, and if you leave them alone, they'll only increase."
After hearing my entire explanation, Rabi clapped her hands and said “I see.”
“In other words, this is being “Spirited Away”.”
The words that suddenly came out of Rabi's mouth made me stunned.
Rabi's words were so convincing that all I could do was smile, it sounded so bland that I started laughing.
“What does that even mean?”
“There is a strange urban legend about Morihama City that I sometimes see often on SNS. It's called “Spirited Away”. One day a young girl wanders off and is found a few days later. But she doesn't remember what happened during that time.”
“It’s an urban legend that gives an excuse to why young people ran away from home never to be seen again huh.”
“But it's not true, is it? The children who have disappeared are being used as materials to create a "False World”. That's the truth.”
“Well, you're right.”
“I've always wondered about this. Why does Morihama City only have whispers of such a fake rumor? They say that where there is no fire, there is no smoke, but there must be a reason behind all of this.”
Rabi nodded "Yeah yeah". But the conversation didn't seem to end there.
“But, if this continues to happen... there's more to this story, right?”
“There’s more?”
“The rumor about being “Spirited Away” may be false but there is more to it. Those two concepts are one set. The disappearance is the work of the “Fake Beasts”, but who are the ones that fall victim to them?”
She has a probing gaze, but the answer must have already come out in Rabi's mind already.
“As you might have guessed, it's the "Awakened" who are like us.”
After finishing all the stuff I needed to report, I put down my phone and turned my attention to the direction of the street.
“Rabi may have seen it too, but normal humans can’t see or touch the ‘hole’… No, would it be more correct to say that they haven’t been able to recognize it? There are only us the “Awakened” who have the power to see and go in it.”
"So the 4 awakened people I saw at lunch were looking for the captured child? ……But looking at that, I get the feeling that the “Awakened” are moving in a relatively organized group. Is there such a thing?”
I see, this girl is the real deal.
If she had correctly guessed this much, then I was at a loss of words for what to say.
“In Morihama City, there are quite a few people like Rabbi and I who suddenly became “awakened” one day. I think it would be better for you to hear directly from Caliburn about what the “Awakened” are tasked to do and in what kind of environment they’re in.”
“Huh? Who is Caliburn?”
“A group, not a person. Well, to put it simply, it's a secret organization.”
“A secret organization?!”
“It’s an organization that was secretly formed to respond to the “False World Incident” that occurred unseen in Morihama City... have you heard of it?”
I guess she never heard of it.
Rabi looks down and for some reason, her body is trembling.
“.....um, Rabi?”
“A SECRET ORGANIZATION! DOES SOMETHING LIKE THAT REALLY EXIST?!”
“Woah! You scared me!”
Rabi approached my face with the force of something similar to a spring doll. Her eyes sparkled like those of some dreamy girl.
“What? That organization is in Japan, right? We're in a local city in Japan. We're not overseas. We're not in Europe or America. It's in the city I live in. It's the city we live in!”
Rabi's tension was so high today to the point where I was taken back a little.
“Well, you know ......there actually was one. You just don't know it, but I live there.”
“Really?!”
“Believe it or not, it's up to you to decide.”
“Well, I do believe it!...... Huh? No way! What should I do?! How can I get in touch with you then!? Do I have to find a secret code hidden in this city and solve it!?”
“... I'm sorry to break your excitement, but even if you don't do that, a Caliburn agent will be here soon to scout Rabi anyway.”
“Oh! An agent sounds cool! ……No, you're not a scout? Huh! Why are they coming here then? Could it be that I was being monitored after I became one of the “Awakened”!?”
Rabi quickly hid behind a nearby object and began to look around restlessly.
"...... No you’re not, so you don't have to be so cautious, there's no surveillance cameras or anything like that here."
"Then why!? Could it be that the person who will become an “Awakened One” has already been foretold by a prophecy!?"
I smiled at the excited Rabi, whose eyes lit up with excitement.
“I was the one who reported it.”
“You bastard! You sold me out!”
Rabi grabbed me by the chest with all her might.
“Huh, you’re so quick to react, your flippancy and momentum are right up my alley. I'd like to play with you a lot more when you do that, but...... I'm going to take my leave now."
“So you're going to run away without me! Damn it!”
“Please don’t say those harsh words to me. I'm not going to let that kind of funny reaction stir up my heart. I need to go on a very important errand and I'm very angry with the person I'm supposed to be meeting with. I went on that errand with you because I wanted to skip that important appointment, but the guy I was supposed to meet is really pissed right now. I've got to get going or I would be in serious trouble."
I'm not confident that I can hide from that person, but I've been getting a lot of messages from the other side, and if I hadn't turned off my notifications, the vibrations alone would have blown my phone’s charge off.
As soon as I told my situation to her, Rabi suddenly became quiet.
“Oh, I see.”
The high tension that had been building up in Rabi until a few minutes ago seemed to have disappeared.
Looking at Rabbi like that, all I could sense was turmoil, regret, and guilt in her.
I am not particularly perplexed when I see those feelings of hers, which are somewhat contrary to her previous attitude and actions.
However, those thoughts of such inconsistency were a characteristic of this girl.
“So that's it for me. Caliburn will be picking me up soon.”
“Eh? ......Ah, yes.......I see.”
Rabi was about to say something for a moment, and then immediately nodded her head like a good kid. I feel like we've gone back to the distance we felt when we first met.
“Is there anything you'd like to ask your senior awakened at the end of the day? Maybe I could at least give you some advice?”
“......uhm, ah…..”
“Oh come on, we're running out of time.”
“A-are the Caliburn members scary?!”
She asked a terribly stupid and childish question that seemed to be vastly different compared to the outstanding sharpness and intelligence she had shown just a moment ago.
“...... No, you’ll be fine. The agents are all nice people, with a few exceptions, so don't worry about it.”
“Really? Are you lying?”
She’s making such a worried expression to the point that it looks like she’s about to cry.
“Also, just because you have recently become an “Awakened”, you won’t be forced to do anything.”
After giving advice like the senior that I am, Rabi glanced at my face and whispered to me softly.
"...Yeah, I understand."
"Well, I'd better get going now."
So, this is where we part ways.
I waved my hand and turned my back on her.
“Ah, wait! I'm sorry! That was a lie! There's something else that I really want to ask you!
“?”
She then opened her mouth as if trying to hold back her embarrassment.
“Um... why did Ura call out to me? You even skipped on that important errand of yours.”
I honestly thought it was cute that she was doing her best to ask while looking down at me.
So I'll answer honestly at least for the last time.
"I saw Rabi's back in the park plaza and it felt like you were saying “Would anyone like to go with me?” I guess that's why I followed you."
After answering that, Rabi raises her face.
“How…. did you know that?”
“Well, I wonder why.”
“......I knew it, Ura really can read people's minds, can you?”
“What makes you think so?”
“Is that also an ability of the “Awakened”? Like the one you showed me in the false world?”
“If the "Awakened" can show special abilities, it is only in the "false world" where the true value of the "disguise" can be demonstrated. In the real world, we are just ordinary people who can be invisible to others at best.”
“Then, how did you know?”
I naturally reply to her question.
“It’s a secret.”
I’m just gonna dodge that question for the time being and get the hell out of here.
“K-Kigisu Yuragi!”
“? What?”
“That….is my real name.”
Her ears turned bright red, and she was trembling slightly, staring at me intensely.
“Are you okay with telling me that? Specifically speaking, I'm still a shady person who might be telling lies, you know?"
"That's true,...... but, well, it's Ura so I don't really care about it...... oh, it's all a lie then!"
Then Kigisu Yuragi cried out.
“That’s because I really want you to remember me!”
She pulled the brim of her hat down and hid her eyes from my view, and I couldn't help but laugh at her words.
"That's a nice name. I'll be sure to remember it."
“...... Can I meet you again?”
"Well, what do you think?"
"You’re so mean!"
I wave at her again and walk away.
I exit the alley, pick up my phone, and make a call to the person who is probably angry with me.
At that time, I had a cold feeling in my heart that I would never see her again.
That was the first meeting between me, Ruu Haizora, and the girl named Kigisu Yuragi.
＊＊＊
I stood calmly in the alley, alone after Ura had left.
“I ...... did I say something funny?”
Then, after remembering what happened earlier, I became embarrassed and crouched down on the spot with my head in my hands.
AAAAH, why did I do that?! Was that really me just now?!
“That sounded just like a conf— ugh!”
Why did I say those things?! How could I have said that?! Why did I have to say that?! I don't know why! I have no idea! Is this what you call not thinking ahead? Momentum is a terrible thing! I want to erase this embarrassing memory right now!
“No....but....”
…..At the same time, I don’t want to forget it.
I want to remember the time I spent with him.
Tak, tak, tak.
--My ears were about to boil over, but I noticed the sound of approaching footsteps.
I turned my head to look in that direction and saw someone coming toward me.
“Good evening, young lady. Are you alone?”
A woman in a suit appeared.
She was wearing pants and a suit that showed her body line and round sunglasses, which gave me an unusual impression.
“.....”
On the other hand, I stood up in a hurry as my voice faltered because I was unable to speak to someone I had never met before.
Seeing me like this, the older woman pulls out her phone and looks down at the screen.
"A soon-to-be high school girl. Wearing a hat and mask, and she's quite shy...Yeah, the characteristics match."
Convinced, the older woman stood in front of me and put her other hand in her pocket, and asked,
“Let me ask you this question, what does this look like to you?”
The older lady picked a small mascot doll out of her pocket with a string attached.
The little chick was swaying at the end of the string, looking at me with its round, dull eyes.
“.....A c-cute chick?”
“Oh, this feels surprisingly good. If you want to touch it, then go ahead.”
I hold out my palm to the mascot doll offered to me with a smile.
The moment she released her finger from the string she was holding on my hand-
--The cute chick then vanished into thin air.
“!”
My eyes widen involuntarily.
Magic?! ...No, it's not! This is the same “Disguise” that I’ve been told about?
It is a phenomenon I saw just a short while ago. It looked very similar to the one Ura threw away the water pistol in the “fake world”.
“It doesn't matter what it looked like, the important thing is that you could see it. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to test you. But it was the quickest way to tell if someone is Awakened or not.”
It seems that “Disguise” can be used in the real world as well. However, judging from what that woman said, it seems that it can only be seen by an "awakened person", just like the "hole" in the park square.
Of course, I had to guess as to who this woman who showed such a "disguise" was.
“My name is Yuni Kokono. I am an agent of Caliburn, a countermeasure organization against the false world. I have a lot to explain to you now that you've become an “Awakened One”. If you don't mind, could you come with me to our headquarters?"
I thought that Ms. Kokono, with her adorable smile, was a rather cute person to be an agent in a secret organization.
“Oh, by the way, your agent number is 'IX'!”
“!”
I take it back. She might be cool after all.
