Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: When Does Tomorrow Come? (2)
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'It's not a dream...! It's not a dream...! It's not a dream...!!'
Emily was running down a path dyed in sunset hues.
"Kyahaha! Where are you going~?"
A black-haired woman chasing after her from behind.
She approached, swinging creepy scissors.
'No, no, no, I don't want any more...!'
Her terror-stricken eyes took in the horrifying woman drawing closer as tears streamed down her face while she fled.
The morning after her second death.
'...Why is this the scene I saw?'
The scenes that gave her a sense of déjà vu, which she thought were from a dream, were not dreams at all.
They were from before she died.
Memories from a full day that Emily had clearly experienced.
"Emily... Are you okay? You suddenly took the day off yesterday."
Maron looking at her with concern.
"Good morning, Emily."
Adrian greeting her with his usual smile.
'...I know all of this.'
Even the contents of the class were exactly as she'd seen in the dream.
Just like Ken not showing up to school.
Everything was unfolding precisely as in the dream.
Which meant...
'...That woman on the way home too?'
The end of the dream.
The eerie laughter and unsettling gaze.
The sharp scissors grazing her throat.
As the chilling sensation of her body cooling returned, Emily shuddered.
'I, I have to take a different route!'
If today unfolded exactly like that nightmare, then what was to come would match the dream too.
Then she'd avoid it.
And so Emily took a completely different path to the dorms, not her usual one, circling around wide.
But unbelievably, she ran into that woman.
"You brought him~, right...?"
Snip.
The creepy sound of scissors crossing and closing.
The spine-chilling woman approaching with that noise.
Emily recalled the blood-soaked experience from the dream and trembled in fear.
Wh-why... I, I definitely took a different road...
But there she was, the long-haired woman right in front of her.
She asked Emily again.
"The child of prophecy..., did you bring him...?"
The question brought back words from the nightmare.
Bring the child of prophecy.
'The child of prophecy... that means me.'
Before enrolling in the academy, a high-ranking official from the kingdom had called Emily the child of prophecy and given her a letter of recommendation for the academy.
Even in her terror, Emily calmly assessed the situation.
A day unfolding exactly like the nightmare.
She'd tried to avoid the long-haired woman by taking another route, but ended up facing her anyway.
Which meant she'd soon die by those scissors.
Recalling the vivid pain in her throat, Emily cautiously spoke.
"I... I'm the child of prophecy."
At that, the long-haired woman stopped dead.
'...Is this okay?'
If that woman's business was with the child of prophecy, then it was her.
So she'd give her what she wanted.
If she realized Emily was the child of prophecy... she wouldn't kill her.
That was Emily's judgment.
But.
"...You... the child of prophecy."
The long-haired woman muttered Emily's response.
Then, she twisted her lips into a grotesque grin.
"Kyahahahaha━! Youuu~!"
"Eek!"
The woman's sudden scream-like laughter.
The voice brought back the nightmare, and Emily staggered backward.
"Youuu...! Liar~!"
And the long-haired woman glared at Emily, her eye gleaming from within her hair.
Feeling that gaze, Emily knew what would happen next.
She'd be chased.
"Noooo━!!"
"Keeheeheehee! Kyahahahaha!"
Emily screamed and turned to run.
As expected, the long-haired woman pursued with eerie, unpleasant laughter.
'I have to escape...! I have to escape...!'
She already knew the result of being caught—from the dream.
Emily ran with all her might.
Tears welled in her eyes and her legs shook, but she pushed on with everything she had.
She didn't want to die. She didn't want to suffer.
The sensation of scissors slicing her throat still lingered.
That's why Emily fled at full speed.
But despite her will, the grotesque woman charging after her was faster.
"...Kyaaah!!"
"Come heeeere~. Kyahahaha!!"
As Emily ran, her hair was yanked, sending her tumbling backward amid the pain and a scream.
Snapping back to her senses from the shock, she opened her eyes to meet joyful, horrifying eyes staring down.
The long-haired woman looming over her was grinning at Emily.
"N-no...!"
"Liiiars... need punishment~?"
Snip.
The scissors moved once in front of Emily's eyes.
"W-wait a moment! I'll do whatever you say...! I-I promise, just...!"
"Need punishment~!!"
"Kyaaaaah━!!"
Pain and terror crashed over her.
"No! No! D-don't!"
"Keeheeheehee! Kyahahahaha!!"
"Kyaaaaah!! It hurts!! It hurts! Stop! Hic, it hurts! Stop...! No!! It huuuurts!!"
In agony, Emily screamed.
But no one was around to help.
There was only the mad woman butchering Emily's body with scissors.
"Guhk... P-please... spare me... Hic, st-stop... p-please..."
Her mind eroding under pain and fear.
"Kyahahahaha!! Keeheeheehee!!"
"...Who... save... me..."
Her blurring vision showed only the blood-red sky.
And soon, death came.
"Nooooo!!"
Emily jolted awake in her dorm room, screaming as she sat up.
"No, no, my legs, my, my fingers...! Hic."
Still feeling the vivid pain, she clutched her body, tears flowing.
But her body bore not a single scratch.
The burning pain that had consumed her moments ago was gone.
As if it had all been a dream.
But now Emily realized.
"...It, it's not a dream."
Hugging her arms, she curled up, trembling in fear.
The memory of pain she'd never endured before made her sob in terror.
'I have to escape.'
Only one thought filled her mind.
Escape this place.
Emily immediately packed her things and left the dorm.
She had to get away from the academy somehow. Far, as far as possible.
Classes didn't matter anymore.
She could even go back home.
The woman appeared around sunset.
If she fled now in the morning, by then she'd be much farther away.
With that, Emily ran desperately.
Not toward the usual school path from the dorms, but the opposite way.
Toward the academy's main gate.
'...It'll, it'll work.'
The guards at the gate came into view. Crossing that would mean leaving the academy.
Seeing hope, Emily smiled in relief and quickened her pace.
"...Hey, class is about to start...!"
Ignoring the guard's attempt to stop her, Emily passed through the gate.
Then.
"...Where are you going~?"
Splash!
Something splattered onto Emily's shoulder.
Her shoulder wet from it, Emily trembled and turned her head.
"...Keehee, the child of prophecy... you have to bring him~?"
There stood the beheaded guard.
And the woman who had just butchered her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Emily sat trembling at her desk in the classroom.
'What do I do... What, what can I do...'
If she left the academy, that woman appeared instantly and killed her.
Then she'd wake up in her dorm room again.
She'd tried hiding somewhere until the day ended.
But the woman appeared like a ghost at the same time and found her.
Then killed Emily with that creepy laughter.
The last time, she'd even tried fighting back.
Using magic, swinging a sword, charging in.
But Emily's skills weren't enough.
"Keeheehee! Rebelling... bad children need punishment~!!"
The death from resisting in that final loop had been more torturous than any before.
"Em-Emily... Ar-are you okay?"
Maron speaking to her from the side.
Seeing Emily in such a poor state, she called out, but Emily didn't respond.
She just trembled there.
'How can I... how can I...'
Her mind raced only for a way out of this.
But no clear answer came.
If she gave the woman what she wanted, the pain would end—but Emily didn't know who the child of prophecy was.
If it were someone she knew nothing about, she might have tried searching.
But as far as Emily knew, she was the only one called the child of prophecy at this academy.
'Just... how?!'
Desperate not to endure more fear and pain, Emily racked her brain.
"Good morning, Emily... Emily?"
Then came the familiar morning greeting.
Emily snapped to and turned her head.
There stood Adrian, looking at her worriedly.
"...Ah, Adrian."
"...Emily, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"
Seeing her expression, Adrian's face hardened as he asked.
Anyone could see she was in a dangerous state.
Her face was that bad.
And seeing Adrian's concern sparked an idea in Emily.
'Adrian's the strongest in our year after Rafne...!'
His strength could surely stop that woman.
"A-Adrian... help me!"
"Of course, don't worry, Emily. First, tell me what's going on."
Emily felt relief at his reassuring response.
Tears of relief fell as she explained everything to him.
Adrian's reaction to her story was subtle.
"...So... a strange woman kills you. ...And when you die, the morning starts over... right."
A look like he couldn't quite believe it.
Understandable. Dying and restarting the day was hard even for Emily to accept.
But Adrian still came with her.
Though unbelievable, he stayed by her side to help.
"...Thanks, Adrian. It must sound crazy."
"Haha, yeah. Anyone else might call it insane. ...But I don't think you're lying."
His warm smile eased her.
The hopeless situation from moments ago now seemed solvable—he could overpower that woman.
Everything would be fine now.
'...Now it's okay.'
And so Emily waited with Adrian for the woman's appearance.
The location: the original tiled path home.
Sunset began.
The familiar orange glow appeared.
"Keeheehee!"
Snip.
The woman revealed herself before Emily.
"Kyahaha! Did you bring him~? The child of prophecy... did you bring him~?"
The woman appeared with the same words as always.
Terror eroded her again, and Emily trembled.
The snip of scissors recalled the pain; tears welled up.
"...Emily?"
"A-A-Adrian...! Th-there. ...She appeared there!"
But she wasn't alone now.
A reliable ally stood by her.
Emily pointed at the woman ahead and said to Adrian,
"L-look there!"
No need to point—this tiled path had only one way.
In the open space, the grotesque woman was obvious.
But Adrian didn't look there.
"...Emily."
He just gave a troubled look.
And stared at Emily.
"There's nothing there."
His words turned Emily's mind blank.
"...Huh?"
It took time to grasp the meaning.
She turned back to the woman.
"Kyahaha! Keeheehee!"
Snip.
The woman clearly existed in Emily's eyes.
"...Not hiiiim~?"
Slowly.
Slowly, she approached without stopping.
Her eye gleaming eerily through her hair scanned Emily and Adrian beside her.
"Not... the child of prophecy...?"
Her lips curled up.
That smile sent chills through Emily's entire body.
"...E-Emily! Are you okay?"
"N-no, no...! D-don't come...!"
Adrian called worriedly at Emily's odd behavior, but it didn't reach her ears.
Her shaking legs gave out, and she collapsed.
And the approaching woman.
Had already reached them.
"...Emily."
Sensing something wrong from her trembling, Adrian looked where she stared.
But only an empty path lay there.
'...Is something there?'
Knowing Emily's character, Adrian didn't doubt her rashly.
So he stepped in front of her.
Raising his hand, he conjured flickering flames.
"I don't know what it is, but Emily..."
Adrian extended his hand, gathering mana to scorch whatever lay ahead.
Not knowing the foe, he amassed a large amount.
Preparing his attack, he looked at the collapsed Emily.
"First, get up and run..."
But before he could, the long-haired woman struck first.
Splash!
A fountain erupted.
Red blood sprayed across Emily's face.
"...Ah, aaah."
Before despairing Emily stood.
A headless Adrian.
"Kyahahahaha! Goooood~ That face is goooood~!! Keeheeheehee!!"
Her last hope gone, Emily.
Collapsed on the ground, sank into despair.