Episode 157 – Test (4)

Test (4)

“Do you like me, Shion?”

Soliette’s voice, carried by the moist wind, echoed over the waves of the sea. I watched her from a distance, lost in the scenery.

I hesitated for a moment.

Why would Soliette say something like this?

What led her to harbor such thoughts?

Scratch-

Suddenly, a scratching sound echoed from my pocket.

It was a signal from Gerkhen and Layla.

“Just a moment.”

I pulled out the card.

[We found another market, but there are already 48 people there. Sorry, if we enter, it will be full at 50]

A hastily written message, implying they should handle it themselves.

Clearly Layla’s work.

“It seems we’ve been betrayed?”

I chuckled dryly, showing her the card.

“…….”

But Soliette’s face didn’t waver. She continued to gaze up at me with steady eyes.

“Shion. You’re avoiding the question.”

Her eyes were clear, refusing the change in subject.

I scratched the back of my neck and put the card back in my pocket.

“I’ve been thinking too, Shion.”

Soliette’s voice was breathy.

“From the beginning, you approached me as if you knew me. You knew what I needed, what I lacked, everything.”

Her lips moved steadily, slightly trembling.

“……As if you’ve been watching me for a very long time.”

She said, her expression shy and drawn out.

I gave a bitter laugh.

For a moment, I contemplated.

Should I confess honestly?

Even if I reveal my biggest secret—the fact of my regression—wouldn’t the current Soliette believe me?

Wouldn’t she understand me?

……But.

Belief and empathy are always separate.

Soliette and I, we started from different points.

Even if she could believe me, if any relationship is built on that premise, it would be no different from before.

A relationship built on sympathy, compassion, pity.

That’s what we were in the past.

I don’t want to repeat that mistake.

So now, perhaps a different kind of honesty is needed.

At least, that’s what I think…….

“Yeah. I did like you. A lot.”

“……!”

When I confessed my feelings honestly, colors swirled in Soliette’s eyes.

“Quite a lot.”

She inhaled sharply. Her tightly clenched hands trembled.

I’m not sure.

Is it because of this sea of souls? Is it the prism-like spreading wind and sea that resonates with my heart?

“……And.”

I looked down at her.

Things that have been frustrating, even though I’ve understood them until now.

“I’ve thought about you as much as you’ve thought about them.”

Words I would never have said under normal circumstances.

I poured them out to her.

“If anything, I’ve thought about you more, never less.”

I loved the Soliette before the regression.

Soliette pitied me, but I also felt compassion for her.

Loss.

That sorrow isn’t only yours.

My compassion turned into love, while your pity remained just that.

“…….”

Soliette froze. It seemed like even her breath had stopped. Her face, looking up at me, was as stiff as wax.

“……But.”

I gave a small smile and shook my head.

“Not anymore.”

Unrequited love.

It gets tiring if it goes on for too long.

Of course, I might still like her.

Deep down, I might be fighting the desire to be with her.

But, the Soliette I’m referring to isn’t the one standing here.

The Soliette I loved was the one before the regression.

“Is that so?”

Soliette asked in a whisper.

I gave a bitter smile and nodded.

“Yeah. If you like someone too much, for too long, there comes a point when giving up becomes easier.”

“Ah……”

For the first time, Soliette lowered her head. Unable to meet my gaze, she bit her lip. I looked at the scenery instead of her. We stayed quiet for a while on the colorful boat in the sea.

…Beep-

Suddenly, a sound rang out from my pocket.

I pulled out the card again. Something was written on it.

[Help!!!]

It was Layla’s handwriting again.

“What’s this all about?”

Didn’t she betray us just 10 minutes ago?

[The thing about finding a market was a joke, you know? We would never betray you!!]

[So please save us!!!]

Something seems to have happened in the meantime.

Although it’s annoying, we desperately need a change of topic right now, given the awkwardness between us.

I replied to the card.

[I’ll send you the coordinates, come here]

“Layla contacted me.”

I showed the card to Soliette.

“Do you want to go together?”

Soliette nodded slightly.

“Yes.”

The corners of her eyes drooped as she responded.

* * *

───30 minutes ago.

[Market]

[50]

Gerkhen and Layla found a second market. A magical barrier surrounded the rectangular area like a fence, and the entrance was engraved with the number [50].

“Found it. Let’s go in!”

As Layla pulled Gerkhen towards the entrance, the seniors inside the market recognized them first.

─Oh? It’s Layla and Gerkhen.

“Yep! You know me~? What’s your name?”

Layla greeted them cheerfully. The senior smiled back at her.

─It’s Elling.

“Elling! How many people are there?”

─There’s exactly room for two more. It’s filled up to 48.

“……48?”

─Yeah. It’s over when you two come in.

Filled up to 48……. Layla muttered quietly and glanced at Gerkhen. He was still expressionless.

“……48.”

Layla repeated in a whisper.

The agreement between Shion’s team and theirs was to secure ‘4 spots’ as soon as they found a market.

They have to find another market since this one is filled up to 48…….

However.

Layla looked at her ticket. The number of red dots chasing her had increased significantly.

It wasn’t just one or two. Whether it was increasing over time or not, it was almost 30 now.

“Gerk.”

Layla called Gerkhen. He didn’t respond.

“Gerk! Gerk!”

“…….”

“Gerk, Gerk!”

“Why is he like this? Why did he suddenly freeze? Is he worrying like me?”

“Gerk! Gerk! Gerk!”

She kept calling, but there was no response.

Frowning, Layla tugged at Gerkhen’s sleeve.

“What’s wrong, Gerk?”

Only then did Gerkhen turn to look at her.

“…Are you calling me?”

“Who else would it be?”

“I thought you were imitating a frog.”

“What are you talking about! Stop joking around!”

“You keep ribbiting-”

“Gerk. We need to be serious now.”

Layla’s voice settled calmly. Gerkhen looked at her expressionlessly.

“I think it’s time for us to make a decision. We need to think rationally about just the two of us.”

Her words were stretched out, but it meant they should just go in, even without Soliette and Shion.

“Soliette and Shion will find another market. They’re so capable. So… let’s part ways with them here.”

Layla struggled to say the words.

Gerkhen didn’t answer, seemingly deep in thought.

“I get it. I understand how you feel. But! Give me that card.”

Layla reached out her hand to Gerkhen. Gerkhen willingly handed over the card.

Layla scribbled a sentence on it.

[We found another market but there are already 48 people there, sorry. If we enter, it will be full with 50]

“Done. This isn’t a cowardly stab in the back, but a fair punch in the face. There’s nothing we can do now.”

Like a president making a national decision, her expression was filled with dignity and determination.

“The die is cast…”

With a stern face, Layla murmured and entered the market.

Gerkhen followed her.

[50]

Thud-!

As soon as it was full with 50 people, the door locked, and the market’s magical barrier was fully activated.

Gerkhen and Layla looked around.

“Wow! There’s food here too?!”

There were many stalls selling not only food like chicken skewers and red bean bread, but also books, equipment, and more.

However, all the shopkeepers were spirits. Their silhouettes were faint, and their semi-physical forms had no light in their eyes.

“It seems like spirits are selling things.”

Gerkhen said this as he stood in front of a cotton candy stall.

“That’s true… It’s kind of creepy.”

“How do we purchase?”

Gerkhen asked the spirit managing the cotton candy. The spirit pointed to the reader in front of the cotton candy panel.

Gerkhen tagged his student ID.

Ding!

[-30 AP]

It was a reasonable price. He received a cotton candy as big as a cloud.

“Hey Gerkhen. Are you going to eat that?”

Someone called them then.

Layla was the first to turn around.

“Oh, it’s Bran! Hi, Bran!”

It was their classmate from Endex, Brown. Layla waved at him with a big smile.

“Oh, hi.”

Brown spoke to Gerkhen.

“Aren’t you a bit uncomfortable buying from a spirit?”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you can handle it.”

Gerkhen, nonchalantly said as he bit into his cotton candy. Layla stared intently at the piece.

“How does it taste, Gerk?”

“It tastes like cotton candy.”

“It must be delicious, Gerk.”

“…….”

Gerkhen took a couple of wary steps away from Layla.

Brown pointed towards the back of the market.

“Come this way first. There’s a statue here.”

“Okay, got it!”

They followed him. The square in the center of the market. Other seniors were gathered in front of the statue there.

“Bran. What were you guys doing here?”

“We were waiting. Until we reach a full 50. Hey, statue! We’ve got 50 now!”

Just as Brown pointed at the statue.

──Ha ha ha ha!

The statue formed an expression and laughed.

──You’ve answered the question correctly!

“Me~ I was the first to get the answer right!”

Layla waved her hand excitedly.

──Good. But this is not the destination!

“……What?”

Layla flinched. The seniors in the market stirred.

“You just said we found the right place!”

──Ha ha ha ha! Yes! But the question itself was a trap-! You stupid and pathetic fools-!

“What, what did you say?!!”

Layla’s face turned ashen.

──This is the Planarium! How could you fools who don’t easily believe human words so easily believe the words of a soul! It’s your fault for believing so naively!

“You, you crazy bastard!! You lunatic-like stone statue!!”

Layla shouted at the statue, waving her fist.

“I abandoned my team because of you!”

──It’s your fault!

Then, Layla’s eyes welled up with tears.

“……You shouldn’t have betrayed.”

Worry-decision-joy-surprise-anger-sadness.

The fierce and steep change of emotions that occurred in just 5 minutes.

“Sob sob.”

“……”

Gerkhen calmly looked at his ticket.

[00 : 00 : 10]

There were only 10 seconds left.

“10 seconds.”

As he said that, time ran out.

The magical barrier protecting the market weakened, and all the seniors were exposed to danger.

“What the!”

“Hey, hey look at the ticket!”

“Hey! Hey, time’s up?”

The seniors each looked at their tickets, their faces hardening. Red dots were rushing in from all directions.

Layla quickly scribbled [Help!!!] on her card.

“Gerk, I’ve asked Shion for help, okay?!”

“Didn’t you stab him in the back 5 minutes ago.”

“……I’ll add that it was a joke just now.”

She wrote more on the card.

[The thing about finding the market just now was a joke, you know? We wouldn’t betray you!!]

[So please save us!!!]

──Ha ha ha ha-! If you want to give up, tear the ticket anytime-!

With those last words, the statue hardened again. Layla gritted her teeth.

“That damn stupid statue.”

“Guys, follow me! I know of another hiding place nearby!”

Brown shouted. Layla tried to follow him, but Gerkhen was standing still. In one hand he held a card, in the other, cotton candy.

“Gerk! What are you doing?!”

He glanced at Layla. Then he showed her the card.

[I’ll send you the coordinates, come here]

It was Shion’s reply. But the coordinates he sent were almost the exact opposite of Brown’s. It seemed like he was going to dive right into the red dots—the ‘it’ in the game of tag.

“I’m going this way.”

Gerkhen chose that direction.

“Wh, what?”

Layla looked back and forth between Gerkhen and Brown, hesitating but……

“I’m going with you, Gerk!”

She quickly followed Gerkhen.

* * *

Gerkhen and Layla reached the coordinates Shion had guided them to. It was a beach.

“There’s nothing here?!”

They stood by the water’s edge and looked back. The murderous intent of the enemies who had chased them to their chins touched their skin.

“Gerk! It’s just the sea! Oh no! Did Shion realize we betrayed him and decided to lure us here to die, then hide and laugh at us?!”

Layla rambled on with her delusions. Gerkhen squinted at the sea beyond.

Vroooom…

Something was stirring the faint currents, rushing towards them.

A boat.

An engine boat large enough for about six people.

“Wha-!”

Soon, Layla also discovered it and her eyes widened.

“Shion!!!!”

She shouted loudly, then sat down on the beach, scooping up water with both hands and splashing it towards the boat.

“Hurry! Hurry up!”

It was an inexplicable action for Gerkhen. Would the boat come faster if she did that?

Anyway.

He finished off the remaining cotton candy in one bite. He drew the sword from his waist. Looking back, he activated Magic Body.

Swoooosh──!

The enemies’ spears that rushed in at that moment. Gerkhen split them with his sword.

“Get on!”

Just as it touched the shore, Shion shouted. Layla jumped on first, and Gerkhen, fending off the following enemies’ attacks, belatedly got on the boat.

The moment the four people got on the boat, a massive sword strike from the Death Knight swept in.

Kwaaaaang───-!

A sword blade that seemed to shoot out the crescent moon.

It hit the boat, but

Ping─!

It bounced off weakly.

“We still have four hours left.”

Shion said so, looking alternately at Gerkhen and Layla.

“Are you okay?”

“Shion……”

Layla looked at Shion. Her eyes were moist with emotion, shining brightly.

“You’re really a good guy!”

She shouted loudly, then lunged at Shion. She hugged him with both arms.

“Are you crazy? Let go.”

“Thank you!!”

Shion was slightly taken aback, and Soliette next to him stared at the scene, then pulled Layla’s hem a little harder.

Rip─! The clothes almost tore.

“Eek!”

Layla, who was pulled off, looked at Soliette with a surprised face. Soliette said expressionlessly.

“Sit down. If you’re not careful, you could fall off and drown.”

“Drown?”

“Yes. It’s the sea, isn’t it?”

“……Uh, sorry.”

Layla obediently sat down.

The four people on the boat looked at the water’s edge from the boat. Not only the Death Knight but also enemies with indistinct forms were standing there.

As if they were regretful for not being able to catch them…….