Urare's Plea

Minel still did not know exactly what Urare was — but that she was no ordinary being was beyond doubt.

That was why he had spoken as he had. Her answer, however, proved disappointing.

"You cannot escape the Backrooms."

"What?"

"Anyone who enters the Backrooms is destined, in the end, to live within them."

Minel tilted his head. It did not sound as though she meant there was simply no method — there seemed to be some other reason altogether.

"What do you mean by that?"

Urare started to answer, then stopped and let out a long sigh.

"I'm sorry, but Father has begun to grow suspicious. There truly is no time left. I wish I could explain more, but we must part ways now."

Minel spoke quickly.

"Then send me to the 7th Floor at least."

"Unfortunately, the faithful cannot leave the 3rd Floor. With my command, however, I can have you taken to the 4th Floor."

For such a remarkable being, she has surprisingly little power. I'll have to check whether the cost-benefit even balances.

"What is it you want from me?"

"Please stop the Doll from awakening."

"…"

"I cannot defy Father. So I would ask that you, Mr. Minel, keep the Doll from waking."

The numbers don't add up. They don't even come close.

Even allowing for exaggeration — she wanted him to block the completion of a Doll that had been yearned for across thousands of years. Millions of cultists would hunt him to the ends of the earth. No — to the ends of the Backrooms, and still have numbers left over.

"That will be difficult."

"…"

Deep shadow showed through the light. He still did not know what marriage to the Doll would mean, but she clearly did not want it. Minel asked,

"What happens if you marry it?"

Urare answered in a low voice, heavy with a long sigh.

"Every faithful soul on the countless 3rd Floors would no longer be of any use."

I thought she had been speaking for herself all this time. She was worried about her followers.

But countless 3rd Floors? There are multiple of them? Then the number of cultists may not be mere millions. Tens of millions. Hundreds of millions, even. And that many more would come after him if he stole the Doll.

"So they would simply… be abandoned?"

"If what you and Mr. Valan said is true, then countless people would all die."

Left alone, those completely addicted to electricity would fall into a hell of wild frenzy, killing one another in their hunger for it. That much was obvious. What Urare meant was that, for their sake at least, the present state had to be preserved.

If she truly cared for her faithful, she would have found a way for them to reclaim ordinary lives. But the pitiful being before him was nothing more than a puppet leader — without the power or the means. All she could do was keep an already hellish existence from becoming something worse.

Minel understood her heart completely.

"How do I stop the Doll?"

The moment the words left him, the light that wrapped Urare seemed to blaze five times brighter. She must have been smiling.

"You'll do it, then?"

"I'll hear you out first."

Urare spoke.

"I don't know the details myself, but I remember how happy Father was when he said he had found the heart. From what you told me, I believe he means to place that heart inside and complete the Doll."

"Hmm. Its chest was empty, yes."

"So if you quietly seize the Doll before that happens…? You saw where it was earlier, so you know the location."

She makes it sound far too easy when it is anything but. I can't give a firm promise.

"I'll try, at least."

Minel's flat reply made the light around Urare surge with intensity.

"I pray you succeed…"

With those final words — so full of happiness they seemed to rise of their own accord — she vanished into the light. The box he had seen before reappeared.

Open it again, I suppose.

When Minel opened the box, smoke billowed out — and in the next instant he was back in the audience room of the 3rd Floor. As the smoke cleared, the Cloaked High Priest stood before him, murder written plain across his face.

The Cloaked High Priest's voice was low and rough; he made no effort to hide his killing intent.

"You… How dare a wretch like you receive the honor of meeting Lady Urare in person. You, who only just became a High Priest…"

His gaze was sharp enough to pierce straight through Minel. Given half a chance, he looked ready to draw a dagger then and there and cut Minel's throat. Minel offered no excuses. He simply bowed his head and held his silence.

In that moment, a solemn, weighty proclamation descended from above.

The Proclaimer's voice rolled through the audience room, and the Cloaked High Priest's lips sealed tight. The poison in his eyes, however, remained.

"…If that is the command, I shall obey."

At the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠edge of that strained voice lay a jealousy sharp as a blade. He trembled from head to foot, then abruptly gestured toward Minel. The Restraining Device binding Minel's wrists dissolved into dust and vanished.

Only then did Minel register that the restraints had been holding his arms. Since they had not been present inside that place, his physical body must simply have remained here. Yet to call the vision mere elaborate graphics felt wrong — a dense sense of reality still clung to him, and the lingering scent of that palace lingered on his body.

No Mystery accumulated, so it seemed virtual… and yet Urare herself said her true form must not be seen because of Mystery. Somewhere between the real and the virtual, then? Is the Backrooms itself even real to begin with?

While Minel briefly entertained the question, the Cloaked High Priest asked in a low voice,

"What did you discuss with Lady Urare? The 4th Floor lies beyond her grace — why would you go there?"

Minel set the thought aside and answered quietly.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot tell you that."

For an instant the man's face twisted. Then he forced a casual snort of laughter.

"Ascending to the 4th Floor is a privilege never granted to anyone until now. Clearly… Lady Urare has entrusted you with something special."

What lived in those words was not curiosity, but naked greed. Minel narrowed his eyes and weighed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the man's intent.

Urare's order is only to guide me as far as the 4th Floor — nothing more. And her influence ends at the 3rd Floor. In other words, whatever happens on the 4th Floor will never reach her. Even if some unfortunate accident were to occur.

Shall I test it?

Minel bowed his head calmly and replied,

"As you know, I only just became a High Priest, so there is much I still do not understand. I would be grateful if you would guide me to the 4th Floor."

A peculiar smile brushed the Cloaked High Priest's mouth. Murderous intent packed tight enough to choke on leaked past his lips.

"Very well. I shall escort you myself. Since Lady Urare has vouched for you, I will help."

He left the audience room and strode ahead. Barking at the two remaining High Priests until they withdrew, he led Minel alone. The path was long and silent. Violent emotion throbbed in every heavy footfall of the Cloaked High Priest.

If I stoke that boiling jealousy, this will resolve itself easily enough.

Feigning ignorance, Minel spoke.

"Have you ever… beheld Lady Urare's manifestation yourself? Manifested as she was, she was truly… beautiful beyond description."

At those words, the Cloaked High Priest stopped walking. When he turned, yellow light already flooded both eyes.

"Silence! Hold your tongue!"

"…"

"To grow arrogant simply because you faced Lady Urare… That is a privilege far beyond — far beyond what the likes of you can bear."

His voice was low, yet seething envy poured from it without restraint. Minel bowed at once.

"Forgive me. I was simply overcome…"

"Be humble! Be humble, and humble again! Otherwise Lady Urare's judgment may fall upon you at any moment!"

"…"

"Who can say? She may already have prepared your judgment. Hmph!"

With every passing moment the Cloaked High Priest's jealousy thickened. His breathing turned sharp and rasping; the poison in his eyes only deepened.

He won't lose control before we arrive… will he?

Just as that worry surfaced, they mercifully reached the 3rd Floor's exit leading to the 4th Floor.

"We've arrived."

It was an old, dark emergency staircase. On either side, two heavily armed combatants stood guard — the same sort Minel had seen in the grand worship hall.

"This is a restricted area."

"You may not ascend."

The Cloaked High Priest approached them, whispered a few words, and produced a packet of powder from his robes. The guards glanced at each other, then withdrew well clear of the spot.

He bribed them and cleared away even potential witnesses. Exactly as I intended — the Cloaked High Priest has decided to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠act.

"Come. Up we go."

A smile that nearly split his face ear to ear twisted across the Cloaked High Priest's features as he muttered low. Then he strode onto the emergency staircase without a hint of hesitation.

Minel waited until both combatants had completely vanished. Only then did he step inside and thoroughly check the surroundings. To the left, stairs spiraled downward; to the right, they wound upward in a continuous coil. The railings were old and rusted through in places, and unknown moisture clung to the walls in spreading black stains.

Faint light trickled down through the gaps of the ascending stairs; from the descending ones, a cold and ominous wind crawled upward. The structure resembled the emergency staircase that had connected the 1st Floor to the 2nd, save that this one was iron rather than concrete — and no living pictures haunted its walls.

The High Priest had already climbed a fair distance.

Is this place simply safe, then?

Minel began to follow. The iron steps groaned and rang unsteadily underfoot. A narrow, twisting stair. Visibility was limited; the railing was half destroyed. If a fight broke out here, there would be no escape route — the worst possible terrain.

Then, roughly halfway up, the Cloaked High Priest suddenly stopped. He turned his head slowly and looked down at Minel with eyes now entirely drowned in yellow light.

"Let's finish the conversation we started earlier. So what exactly did you discuss with Lady Urare during your private audience?"

His voice was far rougher now, far more obsessive.

"I cannot tell you."

Minel cut him off cleanly. A brief silence. Then the Cloaked High Priest's mouth twisted as though it might tear.

"You may have planned to climb all the way to the 4th Floor, but… the Backrooms is a mysterious place. Who knows what might happen the moment you set foot there…"

"…"

He began descending toward Minel, each step booming through the staircase. The entire structure shuddered as if a giant heart were pounding.

"Lady Urare herself vouched for you, and it's made you insolent. Did you think that meant no one would dare lay a hand on you? Is that it?"

"…"

His voice boiled higher; even his breath turned scorching. The jealousy and envy he had barely held in check until now were about to erupt as pure savagery on this cramped stair.

"But… I can wait no longer. I cannot endure the existence of an arrogant creature like you… This is judgment… Urare's judgment…"

"…"

He forced a strained smile onto his face.

"I… heh heh heh… I shall carry it out in her stead!"

In that instant his cloak flared wide, scraping the stair wall with a sharp hiss. With a metallic ring, a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dagger in the Cloaked High Priest's hand flashed toward Minel. There was nothing human left in his face — only a beast seized by absolute resolve and greed.

But Minel had anticipated all of it. Silence was already in his hand.

No — already driving home.

Shunk—!

A clean hole opened in the Cloaked High Priest's forehead. He was no combatant, and against a fully prepared Minel he never stood a chance. His body tumbled down the stairs, half-transformed into a monster by the savagery that had claimed him.

And that form…

Bore an uncanny resemblance to a Shocker.

"Surely not…?"

It did not so much as twitch. Fortunately, he seemed completely dead. Minel exhaled lightly and picked up the dagger that had fallen to the floor.

What sort of item is this? It looks rather good.

He stowed Silence in his inventory and drew out the Backrooms Record.