Chapter 17 - Magic and Night (3)
Magic and Night (3)
****
[NightRat: First, are you in the nurse's office now? What's the state of the nurse's office]
ㄴ[Ares: It's dark, but I don't see anything else]
ㄴ[NightRat: Then for now, that place is safe, so hide yourself properly and listen carefully to my explanation]
ㄴ[NightRat: First of all, the good thing is that you're inside the building, not outside]
ㄴ[Ares: Is there a difference???]
ㄴ[NightRat: At night, the anomaly bastards roam freely]
ㄴ[NightRat: But usually, in the case of a specific 'place', the anomalies that have made it their territory reside there, so the bastards from outside don't come in]
ㄴ[NightRat: So don't even think about going outside the school]
ㄴ[NightRat: You just have to hold out inside the school until morning]
"……."
Hold out inside the school.
I looked at the creepy nurse's office and the dark hallway beyond the nurse's office door.
ㄴ[Ares: Is the school really safe…??]
ㄴ[NightRat: No, the bastards who have claimed a territory are even more fucked up]
ㄴ[NightRat: Instead, those bastards are bound to that place, so there are rules specific to that place]
ㄴ[NightRat: So the thing you need to do right now is to figure out those rules]
ㄴ[Ares: I can figure that out right now?]
ㄴ[NightRat: The place you're in is a school, so the bastard who has claimed it as its territory will be bound to the school]
ㄴ[NightRat: So find a clue with some kind of rules written on it in the school]
ㄴ[NightRat: A school is a place where regulations are particularly well-established]
ㄴ[NightRat: If you're lucky, there will be a way to hold out safely written on it]
"A clue with rules written on it…."
"Why? What's going on?"
"……."
I looked at Lana, who had approached me at some point.
She was wearing a faint smile.
Maybe because it was inside the dark nurse's office, her smile felt slightly eerie.
…This girl was 100% an anomaly.
Was she really safe?
ㄴ[Ares: And …Lana is next to me right now]
ㄴ[NightRat: ??????]
ㄴ[NightRat: Why is she there????]
ㄴ[Ares: I fainted, and Lana was waiting with me lying on her lap;;]
ㄴ[Lapㄷㄷㄷㄷ]
ㄴ[LunchboxCollector: Following mama, this bastard finally…!]
ㄴ[Ares: No, enough with the bullshit;; I have something I'm curious about]
ㄴ[Ares: Why didn't she kill me and just lay me down?]
This was the big question that came to mind right now.
Lana was an anomaly.
An anomaly who had come to my dormitory just a short while ago, knocked on the door, and tried to kill me.
If so, in that moment when I was unconscious.
Couldn't she have killed me easily?
It was a question anyone would have.
ㄴ[ForGlory: Right, why is she doing that when she's already been found out??]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: She didn't do anything?]
ㄴ[No, fuck, they killed me as soon as they had a chance;;]
ㄴ[RedNightSky: It seems to be a special case]
ㄴ[NightRat: Well… I honestly don't know]
ㄴ[NightRat: It could just be a reason to bewitch you until graduation]
ㄴ[LunchboxCollector: There were some kids like that once in a while]
It seemed the gallery guys didn't know the proper reason either.
'Does she really think I'll choose her at the graduation ceremony…?'
The reason was still unknown.
But one thing was certain.
Lana could have killed me, but she didn't.
"Lana…."
"Yeah, what is it?"
When I called her, Lana smiled and answered cutely.
An appearance that didn't fit the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the nurse's office at all.
For some reason, I felt a little relieved at that appearance.
"For now, help me find something."
"Huh? Find something? Is there something to find?"
"Yeah, because the school is dangerous right now."
"Hehe, it's just that the sun has set. Don't tell me you're scared of the dark? You coward, how cute."
"……."
Was she pretending not to know, so nonchalantly.
In fact, Lana probably knew too, that I was 100% convinced she was an anomaly.
"Still, since it's Ares's request, I'll help you. What should I find?"
Perhaps that was why, she didn't ask any more questions and agreed to my proposal.
ㄴ[Ares: Lana decided to help me search]
ㄴ[Wow, you're going to act with an anomaly bitch at night??]
ㄴ[Is this bastard really not scared??]
ㄴ[Ares: No, I'm fucking scared too;;]
ㄴ[NightRat: For now, it doesn't seem like she has any intention of fucking you over, so it should be okay to act together]
ㄴ[NightRat: Instead, be careful and don't forget. That she's an anomaly]
ㄴ[Ares: Of course]
Drrrk!
I carefully came out of the nurse's office and checked the hallway.
'…It seems safe for now.'
There seemed to be no problem.
But still being careful until the end, I stealthily bent down and slipped out into the hallway.
Lana followed behind me, bending her body and coming out.
A gloomy hallway.
A completely different atmosphere from the school scenery I had seen during the day unfolded before my eyes.
Gulp!
I recalled the explanation NightRat had given me a moment ago.
[NightRat: The rule clue is like a strategy guide]
[NightRat: And until you find that clue, you could face an anomaly without knowing any strategy]
[NightRat: So if you run into one, run and hide like hell, if you can't, then trust your gut]
[NightRat: Remember, as long as you're not dead, you can do something]
Until I found the strategy guide, I had to hide somehow.
If I ran into one, I had to run.
If I couldn't run, I had to act on instinct.
I walked down the hallway, repeating those simple but important rules of conduct in my head.
'The strategy guide is usually in the administrative area….'
The administrative area of this school was on the 5th floor.
The nurse's office was on the 1st floor.
If so, let's go straight up to the 5th floor through the nearest west stairs and search all the administrative offices there.
"Lana…, this way…."
"Okay."
Lana quietly followed me with a seemingly joyful smile.
We arrived at the stairs, and we carefully climbed the stairs, still bending our bodies.
'Is it…, okay?'
It felt like I was risking my life every time I went up a floor.
Feeling that tension, I carefully climbed the stairs.
Just then, I heard Lana's chuckling laughter from behind.
"…What is it?"
"…No, it's just that it feels like we're doing something bad at school right now."
"…So that makes you laugh?"
"…Hehe, sorry, sorry. You said it's very dangerous right now, right?"
"……."
Well, you're an anomaly, so danger and all that probably don't matter to you.
No, since anomalies can also be harmed by anomalies, is it just as dangerous for her?
Anyway, Lana smiled brightly without any tension.
"Hey, Ares."
"What."
"This is a scary situation, right? …Then if a dangerous situation comes, will you protect me?"
"……."
Was this girl bored…?
Someone was risking their life climbing the stairs, and she was playfully asking questions from behind, so I was dumbfounded.
At that, I answered bluntly.
"No, I'm going to abandon you and run away?"
"…Wow, that's so mean."
"……."
For a moment, Lana looked at me with a genuinely disappointed expression.
But you're an anomaly.
'No, let's not get distracted….'
I maintained my tension again and climbed the stairs.
And so, after checking the 3rd-floor hallway and confirming its safety, when we were going up to the 4th floor.
"…Hey, Ares."
"…What now."
"…If something scary happens, I mean."
Lana stealthily approached my back and placed her hands on both of my shoulders.
…The warm body heat was transmitted, and for some reason, I felt a sense of relief.
"I'm going to protect Ares, you know?"
"……."
When I turned my head, Lana was looking at me with a cute smile.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: This fucking girl is so cute…
Please don't say heart-fluttering things while we're climbing the stairs;;
I need to concentrate…!!
• • •
Comments
[What, are you horny again? Right now?]
[StudentCouncilTerrorist: How can this bastard be like that even while wandering around at night lolol]
[Are you in danger for real?? What the hell are you doing??]
ㄴ[Ares: No, that Lana bitch is suddenly acting so heart-fluttering;;]
ㄴ[NightRat: You crazy bastard, concentrate]
ㄴ[Ares: Not a single bastard understands how I feel, fuck]
After many twists and turns, we made it up to the 5th floor.
Thankfully, we didn't run into anything on the way up to the 5th floor.
"Where should we start looking?"
"……."
A long hallway lay before our eyes.
Various types of staff rooms were lined up in that hallway.
Meeting room, counseling room, research lab, data room, teachers' office, staff lounge, and so on.
It was too much to search alone.
"…Lana."
"Yeah."
"…I think it would be better to split up and search."
"Okay, where should I go in?"
Lana immediately accepted my proposal.
At that, I looked at her with a slightly anxious heart.
And I stealthily asked.
"……You can be careful, right?"
Lana was an anomaly, but anomalies can also be killed by anomalies.
So this place was just as dangerous for her.
…Maybe it didn't matter if she died since she was an anomaly.
But
……After hearing what she said a moment ago, it was difficult for me to think that it didn't matter if she died.
"What what? Don't tell me you're worried about me right now?"
"……."
"Hehe, okay. I'll be careful and search well. You said it was something with rules written on it, right?"
"…That's right, I'll check the meeting room. Lana, you check the counseling room."
"Okay. …Ares, you be careful too, okay?"
"Yeah…."
Lana giggled cutely, then stealthily passed in front of me and headed for the counseling room.
'Alright, me too….'
I watched Lana walk away and entered the meeting room first.
Cree, ak….
I was careful not to make any sound from the door as much as possible.
"Please be there, please…."
I rummaged through the inside of the dark meeting room, relying only on the moonlight from the window.
Sometimes I would check behind me at the chilly feeling on the back of my head.
And so, after about a little over 5 minutes had passed.
"It's not here, damn it…."
I stood up from my spot, feeling a sense of futility.
I had searched the entire meeting room thoroughly, but I couldn't find anything related to the rules.
'Let's hurry to the next one….'
Since there was no time, I headed for the next classroom.
Lana was investigating the counseling room, so the next place for me to enter was the research lab.
'It should be there….'
I carefully walked towards the research lab.
Was Lana still searching?
I stealthily peeked into the counseling room that I passed on the way.
To check if anything had happened to Lana.
'I can't see her.'
The window was too cloudy to see inside, so I couldn't see anything.
Just then.
[Ah…! Ares! I think I found it!]
Lana's voice suddenly echoed through the quiet hallway.
The place it came from was the research lab, not the counseling room.
…When did she get over there?
Did she search the entire counseling room in that short time?
No, more than that.
"Hey…! Lower your voice…!"
[Oops…! Sorry, sorry! Hehe, anyway, I found it! Come quick!]
"So careless…."
As expected of an anomaly, it seemed she didn't know the seriousness of the current situation.
Or she was just thoughtless.
'Still, she found it…!'
I could finally confirm a way to hold out until morning in this fucked up night school.
I walked towards the research lab with an excited heart.
And just then.
[Wait…!! Ares…!!]
Lana's voice echoed through the hallway again.
The place it came from.
—Was the counseling room.
[I heard that voice just now too! You can't go there!! I'm here!!]
"……What?"
At that moment, I got goosebumps at those words.
What was this?
Why was there another Lana….
A situation where I felt a sense of deja vu for some reason.
And then, Lana's voice was heard again.
[What was that voice just now…? Ares? That wasn't me just now! I'm here! Don't be fooled!]
The voice came from the research lab.
The same Lana's voice was heard from two rooms, the counseling room and the research lab.
And I stood there blankly between them with a nervous face.
One of them was real.
One of them was ……the anomaly of this place.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: Fuck, hey, I'm fucked
I can hear two Lana's voice at the same time
One of them said she found the strategy guide
I think one of them is that anomaly
• • •
Comments
[Crazy, it's similar to what happened last time;;;]
[Isn't that Lana bitch playing tricks again??]
ㄴ[Ares: No, I don't think that's the feeling.]
ㄴ[Ares: One of them is a different bastard]
I hurriedly wrote a post on the gallery to ask for help.
'Fuck…, fuck…'
There was one anomaly that had claimed a specific place as its territory.
If so, there was no way another anomaly would appear in the middle of it.
But if I dragged on time or acted rashly, the anomaly inside the door might just pop out.
There wasn't much time.
This wasn't a safe dormitory room either.
So I couldn't take my time asking questions and answers to find the real one like before.
I had to choose one of them as quickly as possible.
Or.
[NightRat: Abandon Lana]
Not choose at all.
"……."
[Ares? Ares…! The door won't open! Ares, are you okay?]
[Ares…! You have to believe me…! That's not me!]
But there was only one answer for me.
ㄴ[Ares: No, I have to pick one]
ㄴ[NightRat: Are you crazy???? Why]
ㄴ[Ares: Because one of them has the strategy guide]
ㄴ[NightRat: No, get a grip, please. That could be a lie;;;]
"……."
NightRat's words were certainly the answer that judged the current situation most calmly.
Abandon Lana and run away.
The strategy guide?
What if the one in the research lab was an anomaly?
What if finding the strategy guide was a trap?
Then strategy guide or not, I would die.
I knew that well.
Right, in fact, the strategy guide was an excuse.
'I'm going to protect Ares, you know?'
I remembered what Lana had said a moment ago.
For some reason, I felt sincerity in her words, and that was why my heart was shaken.
So.
—This was the moment to make a decision.
"This fuck…!!"
And so, I hurriedly lifted my head to choose one of the two doors.
And just then.
Fzzt…!
"Huh…?"
The gallery window I had open next to me suddenly had noise.
A noise that I felt like I had seen somewhere before.
Before I could even remember when that was, a change occurred in the gallery window.
Sssk!
It was a comment.
A comment was posted on the post I had just written.
[StudentCouncilTerrorist: It's the counseling room]
"……."
A comment from a familiar fixed nickname.
But it was a comment that that fixed nickname would never post.
Because I had never mentioned the counseling room and the research lab.
And
That comment wasn't the only one.
[Hikikomori: It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
[NightRat: It's the counseling room]
[RedNightSky: It's the counseling room]
[StudentCouncilTerrorist: It's the counseling room]
[ForGlory: It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
[LunchboxCollector: It's the counseling room]
[ForGlory: It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
[RedNightSky: It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
[It's the counseling room]
……………
…………
………
……
…
—It's the counseling room
Dozens of comments all said it was the counseling room.
After seeing those comments.
I made a decision.
"Lana—!!"
I opened the 'research lab'.
Fling!
"Ares!"
As soon as I opened the door, Lana popped out, her purple ponytail swaying.
She immediately jumped into my arms and hugged me tightly.
And just then.
A voice was heard from the counseling room.
[N-no, Ares!! Don't be fooled—!! That's a fake!!!]
"……."
"No, Ares. I'm the real one…."
[Don't be fooled!! It's my appearance, but that's not me—!!]
"……."
"Ares…?"
I stared intently at the door of the counseling room.
Right, there was a possibility that this Lana in my arms was not the real Lana.
So.
"Lana in the counseling room."
[Ares…! You have to believe me! Get away from that thing quickly—!!]
"Okay, I'll try to believe you."
"Ares…."
[…Really?! That's a relief…!! Then quickly, the door…!!]
"If you answer my question first."
[…….]
I squeezed the hand of the Lana in my arms.
Lana looked at me with a dazed expression, and I felt her gaze and spoke towards the counseling room.
"—Preferred length and girth?"
[…….]
"……."
For a moment, the hallway became quiet.
And after a moment.
An answer was heard from the counseling room.
[……15 centimeters?]
"You fucking anomaly bastard!! How dare you try to fool me, you bitch!!!"
Kwaaaang!
I kicked the door of the counseling room and immediately grabbed Lana's hand and ran.
"Run!!!"
"Pu, hup, ahahahahaha!!"
Lana laughed brightly, held my hand, and ran with me.
And from the counseling room behind us.
A distorted Lana's voice screamed.
[Where are you goiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!!!!!]
Following that bizarre voice.
Lana, who was running while holding my hand, spoke in a cute voice.
"You weren't going to abandon me after all, were you♡"
"……."
Anyway, I just ran blindly.