I Don't Need You
Minel drew Noise without a moment's hesitation.
Miller's face twisted in panic. He thrust both palms forward at once and spoke in a rush.
"Wait! I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to my party members."
A second later and Noise's muzzle would have been leveled at the two of them.
Minel smiled faintly and slid the gun back into its holster.
"You were looking right at me when you said it. Easy to misunderstand."
"……."
"So. You'll show me around the place, won't you?"
Miller regarded him through half-lidded eyes.
In truth, the last exchange had been another probe—a final test of whether Minel was bluffing. If the man had been bluffing, the sudden brink of violence would have shown it. Yet Minel remained perfectly composed, perfectly still. Drawing a weapon when a fight began was as natural to him as stretching after waking. Not a flicker of fear that he might die crossed his face or his eyes.
"Minel. I can't show you any deeper inside. Only party members are allowed past this point. Or you could join us outright. That, I'd welcome."
Minel ignored him and walked straight in, stopping in front of the stiff-faced Miller.
"Until we catch Chori, we are a party, aren't we? And it doesn't smell that bad in here."
"……."
"Show me the house. Looks like you've been living this way for a long time."
Miller said nothing, simply stared at him.
If this had been a bluff, there would have been no need to push the line this far. A man who was only pretending would have been relieved to wait outside when asked. Instead Minel had ignored the request and strolled in as if nothing were wrong. At this point it almost seemed he was deliberately manufacturing conflict.
"There's nothing special. What you can see are just the rooms where everyone lives……."
Miller smiled and continued the tour in a mild voice. His eyes, however, remained cold and sunk deep.
Miller's base was built around a single corner from which four corridors radiated outward. At the end of each corridor stood a wall of plywood, so that an attack from any direction could be answered from another. The central corner held Miller's own quarters. Beside it sat the communal armory—placed so that no matter which way an enemy came, the party could arm itself in seconds.
Minel followed Miller into the man's private room.
Miller issued orders to the party members waiting outside.
"Everyone arm yourselves to the teeth. Don't spare the consumables—use everything in the armory. This time we root out that Chori bitch and our bad blood with her for good."
At his command they moved as one. He stepped inside and sat across from Minel.
"Looks like you came down from the upper floors. How high did you climb?"
"Do you really need to know that?"
"If we're going to work together, we should at least share levels."
"I won't ask for yours either. Don't go digging for mine."
Miller nodded.
"Fine. Then at least tell me why you came all the way down to the second floor. You know as well as I do—there's nothing more frightening in the Backrooms than a veteran who descends from above."
"So you're planning to investigate me?"
"We're asking you to help us feel secure."
Minel saw the sincerity in Miller's eyes. Now the man was genuinely worried Minel might turn on them. He would have to offer something plausible. An outright lie, though, would leave a trail. Better to tell the truth—and hide as much as possible.
"I picked up a cold-injection skill and a bullet-immunity skill on the first floor. I'm on my way up."
Not a single false word. Miller, of course, interpreted it his own way.
"Well, either one of those would be worth the trip. Never dreamed the first-floor vending machines could spit out something like that. Guess they just sat there waiting for you."
He still refused to let go of suspicion. Minel crossed his legs.
"People down there don't even realize how valuable those are. The stock turns over constantly."
"Ah. Right."
Any more questions and the risk of exposure would climb. Minel switched subjects at once.
"By the way—why settle on the second floor? If you were going to put down roots, wouldn't the first floor be better?"
Miller shook his head.
"Too many variables on the first floor. The environment's a maze. When you're running a party of twenty, fewer variables is better. And here, one switch controls the monsters."
"Ah, I see. Well, I've never tried settling down myself."
"……."
Miller found the remark almost absurd, though he kept the reaction off his face. In the Backrooms, forming a party was not optional. The place demanded so many different talents that people who refused to cooperate simply did not survive. Even essential skills fell into three neat categories—combat, support combat, and non-combat. At minimum, three people had to work together.
"That woman of yours that Chori dragged off—is she a party member?"
"Something like that. Useful enough that I gave her two Rare items. I figured she'd earn her keep. Who knew it would turn into this mess. Those items have to come back."
"……."
"I'm curious about something else. How do you gather Blood Crystals on the second floor? The Hounds that spawn in the corridors don't drop anything. Do you go back down to the first?"
Miller shook his head.
"Going down and coming back up carries its own risks. The corridor Hounds are one thing—the real Hounds drop crystals."
Minel thought he knew what the man meant by "real" Hounds.
"Ah. The ones that used to be people?"
"It's a tedious job, but still better than descending to the first floor."
A job…… From the look in Miller's eyes, Minel was certain he meant deliberately turning people into Hounds. Chori had said as much before—hundreds had already fallen to them.
A knock sounded at the door. Miller rose with a bright smile.
"Looks like they're ready. Give me a moment."
He stepped out. The waiting party member handed him a collection of items. Miller equipped them one by one, still turning over the same two questions: how to cooperate with Minel long enough to catch Chori, and what to do afterward. When the plan settled, he returned to his room.
Inside, Minel was tossing and catching his cold weapon as if it were a toy. Blue frost poured endlessly from Silence. He looked like a black wolf half-hidden in white snow.
Miller swallowed once, then spoke in a low voice.
"We're ready."
Minel sheathed Silence and walked out with him.
Outside, Miller's twenty party members stood fully armed and waiting. Minel's expression stayed calm as he looked them over. Then his gaze caught on the armory—specifically on an anti-materiel sniper rifle larger than a man.
"You like it? I brought that down from the third floor. Packs a hell of a punch. Punches through almost anything."
"Then why leave it behind?"
"The power's real, sure. But practically speaking it's hard to use. You have to set up and aim—and monsters aren't tanks. They close the distance long before you finish."
"Is that so."
Minel did not fully understand, but he let it go. These people had faced Chori's mother often enough; they would know better than he did.
They left the base together. Heavy boots filled the corridor like a marching company. At the front, Miller spoke to Minel.
"We know the places Chori is likely to appear. She rarely strays far from them. Capture her in that area and we're done."
"Simple. Is that the whole plan?"
Miller swallowed again.
"Don't underestimate the monster she commands. It could wipe every one of us out. If we let Chori make any loud noise while we're taking her, that thing will come running. Count on it."
"Hmm……."
"We'll handle capturing Chori. You take the monster she controls. Do that and I'll personally dig up everything about your woman."
Minel considered in silence, then answered quietly.
"We'll reverse that."
Miller's eyes narrowed a fraction.
"Trust us. The reason I showed you my base was for exactly that. Keep the monster's attention off us and we'll handle the rest."
Minel shook his head.
"Chori still trusts me. Capturing her will be far easier for me. And I've never fought the monster she calls Mother. You people already know something about it—you'll handle it better."
The logic was flawless. Miller still could not accept it.
"I'll be honest. From where I stand, I still don't trust you. How do I know you won't just grab Chori and vanish?"
Surrounded by fully armed party members, Miller's voice carried more weight than before. Minel swept a calm gaze across Miller and the ranks behind him.
"Miller. You're making one major mistake."
"What am I mistaken about?"
"You need me to catch Chori. I don't need you."
"……."
"All I needed was a way to find her. Now that I know she never leaves that area, I can simply go meet her alone."
"……."
"Don't you understand? You aren't letting me join your hunt for Chori and her mother. I'm letting you join mine."
"……."
"If you don't like it, we part ways here. I'll manage on my own. But can you? If you could, you would have done it already."
"……."
"What? You won't let me leave? Fine—we can settle it right here. I don't care. I don't enjoy killing, but I have no intention of sparing people who have already tried twice to kill me."
At those words the party member Minel had knocked unconscious earlier flinched hard. The air grew steadily uglier until at last Miller forced his closed mouth open.
"If we follow your plan…… will you hand Chori over?"
"I have nothing to do with Chori. I met her for the first time today. If she killed Hina, I'll simply reclaim the things I gave Hina. After that I'll toss Chori to you. I could kill her myself, but this way she can settle the debts she's piled up."
Miller thought a moment longer, then nodded.
"All right. Once we pinpoint Chori's location I'll tell you. While you work on her, if the monster she controls shows up, we'll buy you time."
"Good."
Minel extended his right hand. Miller looked at it, then reached out and shook.
They began walking side by side again. After another twenty minutes or so, Miller addressed the party.
"Split up and search for Chori. Move quietly—no noise. If you spot her, don't let her see you. Come back here and report."
The party answered in one voice and scattered into five-man teams. Miller's own team and Minel stayed put.
An awkward silence settled, but neither man paid it much mind. They simply waited for news.
Perhaps ten minutes passed. Then a single party member came sprinting down one of the corridors.
"M-Monster! A monster has appeared!"