Last Customer at the Ambiguous Salon
"Answer." (2)
"Another brother has headed to heaven."
"But this brother failed to pave the way. That's a shame."
"We should retrain the brothers. Hand over the records we've compiled so far."
The cultists exchanged words like that. They weren't paying the slightest attention to me. The anomaly right in front of them was more important, I guess.
"When asked if you want your head cut, always answer 'cut my hair.' Then they'll ask what style, so be careful with that too. And…."
"……."
I pretended not to hear them, shivering deliberately. Listening to the cultists made the situation crystal clear.
'The cultists... they're here to capture the Ambiguous Hairdresser.'
As I said, the cult's goal is the extermination of all humanity. The Ambiguous Hairdresser is a monster specialized in killing people—quickly and efficiently. If it could lure folks into a salon, mass slaughter wouldn't be an issue. So naturally, they'd want to get their hands on it.
The cultists must have been deployed to isolate the Ambiguous Hairdresser.
'But they don't know the salon rules yet...'
They were writing the manual on the Ambiguous Hairdresser in real time. If things kept going like this, they'd sacrifice countless lives to uncover every rule, then finally contain it in a cult facility. After that, it might mutate like the Fox that Swallowed Nightmares I dealt with before and come after me.
...Which means I'd stumbled right into the scene of the cult's conspiracy? That I'm the only one who can stop it...?
'This is insane...'
Solving the anomaly was tough enough, but with cultists thrown in, my heart was pounding like mad. Calm down, Mayuri.... The anomaly itself isn't a big deal. Just answer right—it's that kind of ghost story.... And the cultists aren't suspicious of me at all, thanks to my cute looks.
"If you'd like, shall I kill you myself?"
The female cultist said that.
"If you don't want to die by a monster's hand, I can do it for you. Don't worry—no pain."
"N-no, I'm good...!"
"Well, can't be helped then. Everyone has their own taste in death."
...These maniacs say this stuff stone-cold sober. Half the cult are terrorists, the other half potential ones. With their doctrine that all humanity must die, they probably chose to step into this anomaly.
Even if the Ambiguous Hairdresser's scissors lopped off their heads, these psychopaths would die happy....
'The most important thing... is not letting the cult discover who I am.'
These are the same bastards who tried to turn Ryu Harin into the Fox that Swallowed Nightmares. They're leaving me alone because I'm just a civilian. If they knew I was a fixer, they'd try to convert me—or kill me right here....
I took a deep breath and checked my available cards. Summoning... no good. There were too many cultists. Even if I called Lisa in this situation, could she take them all? No disturbances in the salon. 'Business interference' triggers an attack from the Ambiguous Hairdresser. ...And we're smack in the middle of the anomaly. The cultists wouldn't have come unprepared. They'd have ways to suppress monsters. Calling Ari, Lisa, Taemi, Nao—unless I could sweep them all at once, it'd just make things riskier. Better not to call anyone.
...So playing civilian cosplay is the safest for now. Same reason I can't use Lisa's Bond Effect—'slice anything once a day'—or Taemi's 'generate a light source once a day.' That'd blow my cover. Only one option left...
Ari's Bond Effect: 'lie about one fact against a monster.'
"Customers, who would like to go first?"
The Ambiguous Hairdresser approached. I shot my hand up in a panic.
"Um, Hairdresser! About cutting hair—I wanna go last!"
"Pardon?"
Bond Effect with King of Flies activated.
"I arrived last! I'm the final customer!" I shouted.
The female cultist next to me muttered leisurely, "Being a bit late won't change anything."
To outsiders, I'd look like a desperate civilian flailing to survive. But that wasn't my aim.
"Yes, that customer is the last one."
Clunk. Somewhere, a door locked.
"These customers arrived almost at the same time. We were planning to serve that one after the others anyway."
The hairdresser said that. Then one cultist stood, grabbed him, and they headed to the inner salon. I glanced at the cultists just in case, but no one suspected me.
...Since I'm the last customer, no one else will come in.
The cult planned to feed endless people into this to capture the Ambiguous Hairdresser. Meaning more might come later. First, block reinforcements. With Ari's Bond Effect, I'm the 'last customer,' so the hairdresser won't take more today.
"Sister, is it okay to leave an outsider like that?"
"Isn't it better? One more means we learn that much more."
They said it openly, like they didn't care if I heard. ...Using me as bait to uncover more rules. Bastards....
I'd seen a post like that back in the monster game heyday. Laughed my ass off then. Someone else's problem.
But now I'm the one in it.
"Shall I cut your hair?"
"Cut my hair, please."
"What style?"
"Uh.... Short? Aaaaaaaah!!!!"
The hairdresser cut the man short. Snip snip snip—like shredding meat. Blood and flesh sprayed everywhere. The other cultists watched tensely.
"Shall I cut your hair?"
"I'm here for a haircut."
"What style?"
"Just shave it all off!"
"So, shave your hair?"
"Yes, exactly! Aaaaaaaah!!!"
The hairdresser grabbed the man's hair. Then shoved it hard—like pushing his back. The scalp nearly tore off as he slammed forward. The front mirror shattered on impact.
Boom!
Nose crushed, head smashed, embedded in the wall. Blood trickled from the dented hole where his head was stuck.
"Shall I cut your hair?"
"...Please cut my hair."
An older cultist sat down. He answered better than most.
"What style?"
"Maintain the current style, just tidy it up...."
"Got it. Part on which side?"
"Which side...?"
"Left? Right? Where to part it?"
"Right side, but...!"
Crack!
The hairdresser swung an axe from somewhere. It buried into the old man's head. Right at the part line, slightly off-center on the crown.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Skull shattering. Brain splitting. His head cleaved perfectly diagonal-right. Brains leaking, eyes nose mouth oozing....
"Urk...."
Nausea welled up. ...I just closed my eyes.
People kept dying. Sure, these cultist criminals deserved it, but watching wasn't fun.
...Not that I'd save them.
"Record it?"
"Yes."
"Pass the rest to another brother and go die now."
"Understood. See you in heaven."
He stood, smiling, approaching the hairdresser. Truly beyond saving....
...Rescuing scum like this gets no thanks anyway. Their numbers dropping was good for me.
'I'm last in line...'
Once they're gone, call Ari. Mess with the hairdresser's perception. Or summon Taemi to bind it, or Nao for immortality play. Key is wiping out the cultists first.
"Three left. Sit over there, all of you."
The monster hairdresser said.
......Huh?
"I can handle three at once. Saves time—up you go."
"……."
What an efficient hairdresser.... No choice but to comply. Refusing might count as 'business interference'....
We filled seats left to right. Predictably, the chatty female cultist sat beside me.
"Finally, my chance for heaven. Ready for it?"
...She said it gleefully. Ignoring her now....
Situation off-script, but plan stays the same. No powers till cultists are gone.
'They haven't figured all the rules anyway.'
And I know them all. They'd retire before me. Just hold out till then.
"Shall I cut your hair, customer?"
The hairdresser approached. I straightened up. Time to answer carefully.
"Cut my hair, please."
"What style?"
"Just trim the ends a bit.... Tidy it up overall... hair only, please."
"Got it."
The hairdresser touched my hair.
Cute Girl Mod applied to target.
Applying (1%)... Please wait.
Whoa....