The Laugh Encyclopedia
The anomaly designation: High-dimensional Laughter, Laugh Encyclopedia#End.
Kekeke⋯. The creature’s laughter grew steadily louder. It sounded as though someone had pressed a microphone against a speaker, filling the entire amusement park with an ear-splitting roar.
[Book of Silence]
".̩̖̣͍͚͍̜̭͙̙͒̒̊̆̊̉͐͊̍̒̋ͅ.̝͖̘̬̰̣͙͕̳̭͔̃̀̒̈́͊̋͑̔̾͒̊ͅ.͙̬̳͍͓̙͈͎̃̓͒̊̑̆͆͂̄͂̈.͇͓̘͓̟̓̄͐̚.̬͙̤̳̎͂̌̈́͐̔̆͐͂.͖͚̠̙̰͖̐̐̊͑ ."
The laughter was countered by the contents of a book that described the silence of the universe. Several living rides, gripped by the terror of that silence which rendered them utterly powerless, began strangling their own throats.
[White Rooster]
Countless white roosters, their bodies dyed pure white, led the screaming souls and tore apart the surrounding loudspeakers. Of course, the rides and their grotesque staff were no easy opponents; many of the roosters died drenched in blood.
Scratch. Scratch.
“A four-dimensional amusement park. An ambiguous boundary and center, a nest of laughter that mimics the core of the universe⋯.”
While the abilities of various books assaulted the surroundings, I continued writing down the reality of this place without pause. Shhhk-shhhk-shhhk.
A gentle presence stirred behind me. Jijong had extended several hands from the book to guard my back. Two of those hands covered my ears, partially blocking the laughter.
Kekeke-! The creature’s laughter was growing sharper, more refined. Soon I felt a powerful presence surging toward us like a typhoon from the far side.
“⋯⋯So it’s finally showing itself.”
At last, the master of this space—the very embodiment of High-dimensional Laughter and author of the Laugh Encyclopedia—began to reveal itself. Being composed entirely of concept, it possessed no physical form. Therefore it could neither be seen nor touched. It was using the amusement park’s loudspeakers to speak, so that part was irrelevant, but without a special means of detection, sensing the creature directly would have been nearly impossible.
Just as it was approaching, destroying countless rides along the way—
BOOM!
“⋯⋯Huh?”
A massive slash suddenly carved through the creature’s body. Looking closely, I saw Anomaly Management Bureau agents standing between me and the entity. The slash had come from someone whose face I couldn’t make out.
‘⋯⋯The Anomaly Processing Headquarters Director.’
The slash hadn’t been very effective. After all, it was little more than a physical attack. Still, because it left a huge scar across the amusement park, I could feel the creature’s irritation spike.
“Thanks to that, I’ve bought some time.”
If I had a little more time⋯ I might even grasp its weakness or a crucial trait. I kept writing rapidly without revealing myself, scattering a few more torn pages to ward off any interfering entities.
Scratch. Scratch.
. . .
After a suitable amount of time had passed, I felt the slashes from afar cease. Judging by the powerful explosion moments earlier, the Processing Headquarters Director must have used his final resort.
“Haa⋯.”
Thanks to him, I had obtained the creature’s core information—the information needed to defeat it. To think I had overlooked something so simple. All I had to do was stop its “laughter.”
The creature kept laughing even while irritated, even while angry or crying. Because it was the very concept of laughter that transcended dimensions. Therefore it could never stop laughing. Its laughter was both its core and its weakness. If the laughter could be halted, its conceptual foundation would weaken.
⋯⋯But there was a problem. How do you stop the laughter of the concept called “laughter”? No matter the situation, the creature never stopped laughing. Ordinary methods were useless. And with only Jijong and the old books at my disposal, I had no way to silence it.
Writing the creature itself into submission to stop the laughter was⋯ difficult.
“Hmm⋯ Should I check if the Bureau has any means left⋯?”
Just then, Jijong tapped me from behind.
Flutter. Flutter⋯. Flutter.
“⋯⋯What?”
It pointed at my old book.
⋯⋯No way. You’re joking, right?
“⋯⋯You’re serious?”
⋯⋯Flutter.
“⋯⋯I’m hurt.”
Flutter! Flutter!
“Even so⋯ I really worked hard on that⋯. You think it’s that bad⋯?”
I had only assumed the books disliked being read, but to think they possessed enough power to stop laughter itself. A wave of gloom and shame washed over me. Jijong flailed anxiously, trying to comfort me, but the damage was already done.
“Fine. I’ll do it your way.”
Puff, flutter.
“Hmph. I hate you.”
Flutter⋯!
I ignored Jijong, who had begun to regret its suggestion, and turned toward the creature. I really didn’t want to do this, but if I wanted to end the situation, there was no choice but to use “that.” Even Jijong, the swamp, the octopus of the abyss, and the other books had all been reluctant to use it⋯
“⋯⋯.”
Jijong would receive no management for a week once we returned.
* * *
“Kgh⋯!”
Veronica grimaced at the massive wound carved across her chest and scanned the surroundings. Barely any time had passed since the operation began, yet eighty percent of the Bureau’s forces had already vanished. Half of that loss was the Anomaly Processing Headquarters Director, who had chosen to self-destruct as his final measure. Unfortunately, it had only created a giant hole in the amusement park⋯ and failed to suppress the storm-like presence now drifting through the air.
“Aah⋯. My Lord⋯.”
Yet Veronica did not abandon hope. While they bought time like this, the Bureau would surely be activating the Restoration Protocol. Even if, once the protocol ended, the one who reappeared would be another Veronica rather than herself⋯ she had no regrets.
‘In the end⋯ I can depart after hearing His voice.’
As one who served God, she would offer this body until the very last moment.
Kekeke⋯. Kekekekeke⋯.
“Aaaagh!! Stop laughing!!”
Just as the Bureau agents were being driven mad by the echoing laughter—
Scratch. Scratch.
“⋯⋯?”
The sound of a quill pen scratching paper drifted from somewhere. It was a small sound, yet it pierced straight through the laughter that filled the space. Even with earpieces in, the sound reached her brain with perfect clarity.
“Ah⋯ ah⋯ ah⋯.”
And then she witnessed it.
In this amusement park where boundaries and center no longer existed, a single figure was slowly descending. From the being with two crucified hands clasped behind its back, an overwhelming divine power radiated outward.
“My Lord⋯.”
Veronica wept. The divine power was so intense that blood began to mix with her tears. To have the Lord’s form specified like this was blasphemous. Yet at the same time, it was filled with the Holy Spirit. If beholding God brought both blasphemy and faith, then the fault lay with the lowly creature. Veronica thought this as she knelt and offered a prayer to the figure.
She felt a faint familiarity deep in her mind regarding the silhouette, but she could not recognize it. Her entire being was already overflowing with faith, leaving no room for doubt.
Meanwhile, High-dimensional Laughter began charging toward the divine figure. Its reaction was the complete opposite of the joking, laughing demeanor it had shown until now.
“Save us⋯.”
Soon, indescribable sounds of nature began to resound. The cries of roosters, the simultaneous prayers of tens of millions of people, the sound of insects waging holy war⋯ Holy, profane, and utterly incomprehensible events unfolded above Veronica’s head.
From that moment, Veronica’s consciousness began to drift away. As though floating on clouds in a dream, she surrendered her mind to the divine presence filling the surroundings. The same was true for the other Bureau agents. Soon the [Book of Silence] activated, completely sealing their ears.
Kekeke⋯.
Now only the laughter and the divine figure remained facing each other. The swirling laughter attempted to assault the girl who had taken the form of God across dimensions, in three-dimensional space, in mind, and in physical form. Yet the laughter never reached her. Instead, the girl’s old book opened with a soft shhhk.
The final page of the endless old book unfolded. Then, wearing an expression that seemed both angry and secretly expectant, the girl opened that page and showed it to the laughter.
Even a concept without physical form could perceive visual information. That proved to be its fatal mistake.
Keeeeeeeee-.
Beeeeep⋯.
In an instant, the laughter that had blanketed the space fell silent. Only a chilling silence remained as the amusement park began to collapse from afar.
You. What exactly did you write?
The laughter, now devoid of any mirth, asked without so much as a twitch at the corner of its mouth. Its voice was filled with despair, horror, and emptiness even as it crumbled.
Did you write that story to capture me?
“⋯⋯No.”
Then⋯ purely for the sake of creation⋯?
“⋯⋯.”
The girl remained silent. She merely gave a small nod.
AAAAAAAARGH!!
Instead of laughter, a scream and terrible words burst forth.
Disgusting! A terrible novel that wastes paper so carelessly! That book would surely make even the black hole of nothingness vomit! No wonder the encyclopedia was filled with unfunny jokes! Your sense of humor and laughter code are closer to an abyss!! Disgusting! Revolting! Aaaagh!! I want to wash my very concept clean with water!!
“⋯⋯.”
I’d rather die! Eternal extinction would be preferable to stealing laughter from every living being⋯!
“⋯⋯You.”
His words were cut off. Scratch. Scratch. At some point the girl, her cheeks flushed with shame, had begun writing every piece of information about the “laughter” into the middle pages of the old book. Realizing that its power was being drained and that it was being sealed inside that book, the laughter understood its fate.
Once she had recorded every detail about the “laughter,” the girl tore out all the written pages with a cold expression. Using needle and thread from her pocket, she bound the pages together. Finally, on the blank page at the very front, she wrote the title: Laugh Encyclopedia.
Thud.
The voice that had been filled with despair moments ago vanished, and the bundle of paper labeled Laugh Encyclopedia fell heavily to the ground. Shortly afterward, the Laugh Encyclopedia began to move slowly.
But the girl, wearing a contemptuous expression, removed her shoe and stomped on the Laugh Encyclopedia.
“Once we return to the library, I’m not letting you off.”
After saying this, the girl picked up the bundle of paper and, leaving the unconscious Bureau agents behind, stepped through the strangely mutated amusement park gate and disappeared back into the library.