Chapter 18 - Magic and Night (4)
Magic and Night (4)
****
"Where are you goiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!! Where are you going!!! Where are you goiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!"
Kwaaang!
Kwang!!
Kwaaang!!
Lana's voice let out a bizarre scream, and then the sound of something breaking was heard.
"We're fucked…!!"
"Let's go to the 4th floor!"
Lana and I held each other's hands tightly and ran like crazy.
Kwaaaang!!
Kwajijik!!
"Where are you goiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!!!"
Thankfully, right after the anomaly bastard broke down the door and came out, we were running down the 4th-floor hallway after going down the stairs.
But I could still hear the sound of it chasing us.
'I have to hide somewhere…!!'
Seeing as it broke the door, it was a type of anomaly with a physical form.
If so, there was no choice but to hide in a safe place.
And just then, Lana grabbed my hand and led me.
"Here!"
"Uh, ooof!"
Drrrk!
Thud!
The place Lana pulled me into was a certain classroom.
Right after entering the classroom, we hurriedly sat down behind the wall on the hallway side and held our breath.
"……."
"……."
I couldn't hear the sound of something running.
But after a moment.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
'It's here….'
Light footsteps were heard from the hallway.
Light sounds that were hard to believe were the footsteps of the anomaly that had broken the counseling room door.
And
[Ares~, Ares~! Where are you~! Ares~!]
"……."
"Ugh…, my voice…."
The anomaly in the hallway called me with Lana's voice.
Thud, thud, thud….
The footsteps gradually grew distant.
[Ares~……]
Soon, the anomaly's voice also grew fainter.
"Haa…, I thought my heart was going to stop."
"Aah…, that was scary~."
Lana said she was scared, but she laughed as if she was having fun and gently leaned her head on my shoulder.
A warm body heat and a sweet scent.
Feeling that, I immediately checked the gallery.
'It's a mess.'
The comments of the anomaly, 'It's the counseling room', that had flooded the post a moment ago.
The posts were filled with talk about those comments.
ㅁ Wow, it invaded the gallery again
ㅁ Our gallery is so weak lolol
ㅁ Isn't this Ares bastard dead??;;;
ㅁ Will he be able to guess it right this time too
ㅁ Didn't Lana do it?
ㅁ You really shouldn't go out at night…
…………
………
……
…
And I immediately wrote a post.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: I'm alive
It wasn't the counseling room, the research lab was the real one
I'm hiding after running away right now
• • •
Comments
[ForGlory: Wow, this bastard got it right again lolol]
ㄴ[But this time, the anomaly bastard's bait was a bit obvious]
ㄴ[ForGlory: That's true]
[NightRat: Good job, and just in case, don't say your location here]
ㄴ[Ares: OK OK, for now, it seems safe since the anomaly bastard has moved away]
"……."
As I was reporting to the gallery members like that.
A question came to mind, and I immediately wrote another post.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: But why is the gallery so easy to get into??
Everyone and their dog just keeps coming in.
Aren't other anomaly bastards just residing here??
• • •
Comments
[fr lolol]
[StudentCouncilTerrorist: Usually, there are only a few anomalies that can even invade the gallery]
ㄴ[Ares: But that anomaly bastard from before also came and tried to lure me in with comments]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: That's why I'm saying it's a bit strange, it's usually really rare]
ㄴ[LunchboxCollector: ㅇㅇ fr, it's not common for them to invade the gallery and even write posts. It's different from them peeking at what you have open]
'It's a rare occurrence…?'
But if so, that was strange.
Because I had already witnessed an anomaly's gallery invasion twice.
And just then, a familiar old-timer fixed nickname posted a comment.
[ForGlory: I think that Lana girl did it?]
ㄴ[Ares: Lana?]
ㄴ[ForGlory: ㅇㅇ doesn't that make more sense??]
ㄴ[ForGlory: You opened the research lab because of that]
ㄴ[NightRat: I think it was Lana too]
"……."
At the continuing conversation that even included NightRat, I stealthily looked at Lana next to me.
Lana had her eyes closed and was catching her breath, with her head leaning on my shoulder.
'In that case…, did Lana help me…?'
If the two fixed nicknames' opinions were right, that's what it meant.
And that opinion had a good point.
I had vaguely felt it too.
—It's the counseling room.
No matter how you looked at it, that comment was oozing with the atmosphere that it wasn't the counseling room.
That the counseling room was a trap.
"……."
"……Huh? Eeh, what what? Why are you staring at me so intently? …Because I'm pretty?"
"Umm…."
When our eyes met for a moment, Lana smiled slyly and joked around.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: If it was really Lana
Why did she help me??
If she's an anomaly, isn't it better for me to die??
Why is she really helping me??
• • •
Comments
[It's pure love]
ㄴ[NightRat: To make him think that, and then fuck him over at the graduation ceremony]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: Isn't she trying to fuck him and then kill him??]
ㄴ[Hikikomori: Isn't it that, even if he dies, she'll be the one to kill him??]
ㄴ[Ares: They're all on the killing side, you fucks]
As I was listening to the gallery members' opinions on Lana's intentions like that.
"Oh right, Ares. The thing you were looking for."
"Huh?"
"The thing I said I found earlier. It's here."
Lana took out a folded piece of paper from her skirt pocket and handed it to me.
"This…! You really found it!"
"Hehe, of course! I called you because I found it!"
Come to think of it, the beginning of the incident a moment ago was when Lana in the research lab had shouted to me that she had found the rule clue.
At that, I asked a small question.
"But you were originally supposed to go to the counseling room, why were you in the research lab?"
"The counseling room was locked."
"Aah, so that's what happened…."
Lana had gone to the research lab because the counseling room was locked.
And after that, the anomaly in the counseling room had played a trick.
Well, that was that.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: I found the rule clue!!!
[Photo]
This is it, right???
• • •
Comments
[NightRat: Oh, that's it, where did you find it??]
ㄴ[Ares: Lana who was in the research lab earlier found it]
ㄴ[NightRat: We would have been fucked if we abandoned Lana, sorry]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: I don't know why, but I'm starting to like that Lana anomaly bitch lolol]
ㄴ[ForGlory: fr lolol, I honestly don't think Lana is that bad]
ㄴ[NightRat: The dead guys can't get a grip;;]
After reporting to the gallery by uploading a photo of the rule clue, I immediately checked the contents of the paper.
"Let's look at it together!"
"Yeah…."
And so, we stuck close to each other and read the contents of the paper together under the moonlight.
• • •
[Night Duty Manual]
To the teachers on night duty.
Please familiarize yourself with and follow these contents when you are on duty.
Wonder Academy will not take any responsibility for damages caused by violating the rules.
1.
Our academy, by regulation, does not lock all classrooms and administrative offices.
If you find a locked place, please write it on the notice board in the teachers' office immediately after your duty ends.
2.
The teachers on duty must patrol the school twice at night.
The times are midnight and 4 a.m.
3.
If you happen to meet someone during your patrol, you may send them back after confirming their identity.
In the case of an academy student, please confirm their grade and name and write it on the notice board in the teachers' office after your duty ends.
3-1.
If you find a teacher remaining at night during your night duty or patrol, please confirm their identity and business.
After that, please exclude that floor from your patrol route during your next patrol.
3-2.
When you meet a remaining teacher during your patrol, some may ask you to go to the duty room with them.
You must never go to the duty room with them.
By regulation, only the teacher on duty can enter the duty room.
3-3
In the case of 3-2, if the teacher follows you even after you have refused their request, do not look back.
3-4
If you have looked back, you must never confirm their identity again.
Do not doubt their identity either.
Please treat them naturally as the person whose identity you first confirmed.
After that, quickly leave the area and follow item 7.
4.
If someone comes looking for the teacher on duty from outside the duty room during your duty, please answer without opening the door.
Opening the door of the duty room to outsiders is prohibited. I repeat, you must not open the door.
You do not have to patrol on that day.
Please perform your duty in the duty room and come out after the sun has risen.
5.
There are cases where the door of the duty room is locked after returning from a duty patrol.
The duty room does not have a lock.
If it is locked, please leave the area immediately.
After that, please follow item 7.
6.
Sleeping during duty is prohibited by regulation. You must not sleep in the duty room.
6-1
If you happen to fall asleep unintentionally, please check your surroundings immediately after waking up.
If your surroundings are not the duty room, please follow item 7.
7.
If a situation arises where you need to hide urgently while performing your duty, please go to the utility room on the 2nd floor.
There, please find the picture of a red eye.
Please open the door, go inside, and wait until morning before leaving.
7-1
Do not answer if someone calls you.
You must not go out even if you hear someone telling you to come out from outside.
Please come out after the sun has risen.
(P.S. Let's only eat our own snacks in the duty room. Communal snacks are fine.)
• • •
"…The contents are strangely creepy."
"Was there a teacher on duty today?"
"I don't think so. Seeing as they haven't shown up despite this commotion."
"Umm…, Ares, then how about we go to the duty room too?"
"No…, it says only the teacher on duty can enter the duty room. And that it can't be locked."
"Ah, then…."
"Let's go to the utility room."
Thankfully, just as NightRat had said, the rule clue, …the duty manual, had a hint about a place where we could hold out for the night.
The red eye picture in the utility room.
If we went there, we would be able to hold out safely until morning.
"Come on, let's go."
"Okay."
Now, all we had to do was find the utility room and hide, and this damned night would be over.
And so, I held Lana's hand tightly and left the classroom we had been hiding in.
Drrrk!
"Phew…. It's not here."
"Hehe, look at you being scared."
"If you were me, you wouldn't be scared after going through something like that?"
"I was more excited because Ares was cool than scared?"
"……."
This was the problem with Lana.
She naturally said things that shook a man's heart out of the blue.
Feeling a different kind of heart-pounding from fear, I carefully walked down the 4th-floor hallway.
'We won't run into it on the way, right…?'
We had just found a save point, so what could be more unfair than running into it on the way and dying.
Anyway, I had to be careful and careful again.
After arriving at the stairs, I let go of Lana's hand for a moment and carefully looked around the corner.
Clear.
Thankfully, there was nothing wrong.
—Just as I thought that.
"I found youuuuuuuuuuuuuu—!!"
Rattle—!!
The door of the classroom right next to the stairs opened, and Lana's bizarre voice was heard.
"U-uaaaaaaah!!"
"Kyaaa!"
At that, I didn't even look back and hurriedly grabbed Lana's hand and ran down the stairs.
“Fuuuuuuuck—!!”
"A-Ares—!! Where are we going?!"
"Where do you think!! We have to go to the 2nd floor like this!!"
Thankfully, we weren't caught.
Was it slow?
First, we ran.
We had to somehow shake it off and hide in the secret place in the utility room.
Even if we couldn't shake it off, we had to create distance.
Looking at the contents of the manual, it didn't seem like it could force that place open anyway.
Arriving was the top priority.
And so, Lana and I ran down the stairs like crazy.
Thankfully, Lana also came down the stairs well without falling behind me.
"We keep running like this!!"
"Okay!"
And so, when we went down to the 3rd floor.
"Let's shake it off here for a bit!"
I stopped going down the stairs, turned my body, and ran down the 3rd-floor hallway.
Because I thought we would be caught on the way if we went down to the 2nd floor as we were.
And so, I ran down the 3rd-floor hallway at full speed.
Tap tap tap tap tap tap tap!!
"Heok, heok…!"
Tap tap tap tap!
"Heok, heok…! Lana, are you okay?!"
"Yeah! I'm okay!"
Tap tap tap tap!
"Heok, heok…."
Tap tap tap tap.
"Heok…, heok…."
"……."
Tap tap tap….
Tap tap….
Tap….
"……."
"Ares? What's wrong?"
"……."
I stopped my feet in the middle of running.
The reason was simple.
—I could only hear one set of footsteps.
"……."
"Ares? Ares."
A question bloomed in my mind.
Why?
Why did it seem like I only heard one?
Was it buried by my footsteps or my breathing?
At that thought, I stopped for a moment and was lost in thought.
Cold sweat ran down my back, and I got goosebumps.
The one behind me.
Was it Lana…?
Just then.
"A-Ares!! Behind you!!"
"What?!"
At Lana's voice, I inadvertently looked back.
And there —something other than Lana was holding my hand.
"U-uaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
I screamed without realizing it.
And then, it squeezed my hand even tighter.
A wrinkled and rough hand.
It grinned from ear to ear and laughed with blood-red eyes.
"Ares, I asked you what was wrong."
"Uaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
I inadvertently screamed.
I couldn't help but scream at the sight of it making Lana's beautiful voice with a bizarre face.
And just then.
I remembered the contents of the manual I had read a moment ago.
3-4
If you have looked back, you must never confirm their identity again.
Do not doubt their identity either.
Please treat them naturally as the person whose identity you first confirmed.
"Uaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Lana—!!"
"Yeah, what is it?"
"There's a huge fucking fly on your face—!!"
"What…? Where?"
At my words, it fumbled its own face with one hand.
"Where? Where?"
"Here—!!!"
And I slammed my fist into its face.
• • •
Author: Ares
Title: Fuck fuck fuck fuck
It held my hand I'm so fucked for real you fucking bastard you fucking bastard for real I fucking hate the night you fucking bastard for real
• • •
Comments
[NightRat: What is it?? What's going on??]
ㄴ[Ares: I looked back and an anomaly bastard was holding my hand I'm running like hell right now]
ㄴ[NightRat: Oh, fuck….]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: But how did you survive?? You said it was holding your hand]
ㄴ[Ares: I beat the shit out of it with my fist]
ㄴ[StudentCouncilTerrorist: ??????]
ㄴ[NightRat: ??????]
ㄴ[ForGlory: Did I read that wrong???]
"Uaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I hate flies!! I fucking hate flies, fuck!!! Lana, I'll chase it away for you right away!!!"
"A-kahak, re-hek, s-heulk, wai-hak, t-a-mo-ak, ment…!"
I kept slamming my fist into the anomaly's face.
Physical force doesn't work on anomalies.
But with Ellie's mama, I had confirmed that you could move them with physical force.
As a result, the anomaly let go of my hand.
"Uaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!!!"
And I succeeded in escaping.
After that, I ran like crazy.
Without even realizing that I was panting and tired.
I hurriedly wrote a post on the gallery while running.
In the meantime, I had gone down the stairs and arrived on the 2nd floor.
'The utility room—!!'
I found the utility room right away.
Because it was right near the stairs I had come down.
Rattle!
Kwang!
I went straight into the utility room.
"Heok, heok, heok, heok…. Red eye, red eye…!"
After that, I hurriedly searched for the red eye picture that was written in the manual.
"This is it…!"
Thankfully, it was in a place that was easy to spot.
A cabinet attached to the wall opposite the door.
A picture of a red eye was drawn on the door of the long cabinet that was lying on the floor.
The hiding place was the cabinet.
Rattle!
A fairly spacious space appeared when I opened the door.
Now, all I had to do was hide, and that would be the end of it.
But
"Lana…."
The thing that was holding my hand just now was definitely not Lana.
It was a real anomaly.
If so, that meant the real Lana had been separated on the 4th floor and was wandering around alone.
"……."
I looked at the cabinet and thought for a moment.
Lana was an anomaly.
But anomalies can also be killed by anomalies.
"……Fucking for real."
In the end, I turned my body and decided to go find Lana.
Just then.
[Ares…? Ares…! Where are you?]
"Hiiik…!"
Lana's voice was heard from outside the utility room door.
It seemed it had already caught up.
Come to think of it, I had said that I was going to the 2nd floor when I was running on the stairs a moment ago.
At that, I hurriedly hid in the cabinet.
Rattle!
Click!
The cabinet, which was lying on the floor like a coffin, was a form that was easy to lie in until morning.
I hid there, held my breath, and waited for the thing to pass.
Just then.
Rattle!
'It's in…!'
The thing came into the utility room.
And
"Ares~, are you in here?"
"……."
It came up to the cabinet and spoke to me.
At the same time, the contents of the manual from a moment ago came to mind.
7-1
Do not answer if someone calls you.
You must not go out even if you hear someone telling you to come out from outside.
Please come out after the sun has risen.
The anomaly bastard knew that I was hiding in the cabinet.
I must never be found, and I must not go out.
And
Thump, thump, thump!!!
The thing knocked on the cabinet door.
"Ares, open up."
"……."
I held my breath and held out.
Praying that that thing would get the hell out of the utility room quickly.
But
"What, then I'll open it?"
Rattle!
Creeeak!
"Huh…?"
"Hehe, that's a relief. You escaped well?"
The one who had come was not the anomaly, but the real Lana.
She was looking down at me with a cute smile.