Several weeks passed after the dinner with Beatrice. Nothing particularly different from usual had occurred, except for the end of the joint training period.
Early November.
Autumn passed, and winter arrived in Kivotos. This winter was chillier than last year. Even standing still, it felt like one's lungs would freeze, and walking around without gloves was to the point of risking frostbite. Last year's cold was no less than Korea's, but this year it was cold to the degree that the word 'cold wave' was insufficient.
Still, it was better than heat. Rather than sweating uncomfortably, it's better to bundle up tightly. Thinking so, Kenji fastened his jacket buttons all the way. That alone seemed to slightly ward off the cold. He exhaled a breath into the air, haa, then took out his smartphone from his pocket.
[Where are you.]
A reply came back almost simultaneously with the sent message.
[Near the merry-go-round.]
[If you called me for something trivial, I'll destroy every experiment and everything.]
[Sure.]
The conversation ended there. Kenji turned his body and moved his steps toward where the merry-go-round was.
The surrounding scenery was utterly desolate.
Slumpia.
A place that was once a famous amusement park but is now a ruin abandoned and not visited by a single fly since going out of business. Such public assessment wasn't far from reality. Although colorful amusement rides were crowded here and there, the paint was all cracked, and the sight of bugs crawling over broken spider webs evoked a haunted house rather than an amusement park. The sight of shattered mascot heads rolling around also added to that impression.
Among the dolls, a few looked familiar. Representatively, the rabbit-shaped ones. The doll seen a year ago, when kidnapped by Gehenna students. But the color was different. If the one seen back then was a color as if dipped in black ink, this was an ordinary brown.
'Probably not touched by Maestro's hand.'
Kenji clicked his tongue and kicked the head of a rabbit doll rolling on the ground. The flying head tore through a rollercoaster rail with a loud crash.
The purpose of coming here was simple. Because Maestro had suddenly summoned him. A summon to visit to check and for additional experiments, as the test subject he was experimenting on in Slumpia was somewhat complete. He really didn't want to come, but due to the contract to cooperate with experiments, he was semi-forced to come here.
Kenji let out a deep sigh and swept his bangs up.
'Maestro. That damn bean sprout twin.'
Golconda and Decalcomania. He had no particular feelings toward the two. He just considered them acquaintances.
Black Suit. Ambiguous. He was the one Kenji conversed with the most inside Gematria, but he didn't consider him particularly close. He had no intention of becoming close in the first place. But if he were to claim 'friendship' within Gematria, Black Suit was the most suitable. There were even a few times when the two drank together occasionally.
Beatrice. A target to be killed. Nothing more, nothing less.
'Maestro is.'
Not as much as Black Suit, but he's the second most interacted with guy in Gematria. But there were absolutely no private conversations, and the dialogues exchanged when meeting were all short and direct. Friendship? None. At least Kenji thought so. Maestro was probably the same.
That wasn't unpleasant. Rather, it was better than Black Suit.
But being used as a 'tool' to achieve a goal was disagreeable. Who does he think he is to order me around, that crazy bean sprout bastard. Thinking so, Kenji gritted his teeth. It took hours just to come from Arius, through Trinity, to Slumpia. And on foot at that. It would be strange if he wasn't irritated.
But Maestro wasn't very interested in Kenji's feelings. He, who had been sitting near the merry-go-round, confirmed Kenji approaching and slowly rose. Gigi-gik, a bizarre sound resonated from his joints.
"You came."
"Next time, you come to where I am. And don't give one-sided notices."
"I'll consider it."
At Maestro's answer, Kenji clicked his tongue and turned his head. Maestro was a guy who kept his word at the very least. So that 'I'll consider it' was probably said sincerely.
"So, what experiment."
"Follow me."
Maestro said so and began walking ahead somewhere. Kenji slightly furrowed his brow and followed behind.
After moving a few steps, a wide open space greeted the two. Kenji looked around with a blank expression, and Maestro went a bit further forward, then flicked his finger. Wood knocked against wood, creating a bizarre sound.
Kenji watched the spectacle from a slightly distant place. Then he suddenly contorted his face and stared beyond Maestro.
Something felt like it was climbing up from the brick-built stone castle. The aura felt unusual, so he immediately wielded Fear and draped it over his entire body. His exhaled breath dyed black.
"……What the hell are you doing?"
Kenji spat out as if chewing, glaring at Maestro. Maestro waved his hand as if to reassure him and answered.
"I don't intend to harm. So retract your killing intent."
"What should I trust?"
"Look at that."
Maestro pointed at the stone castle with his finger. Kenji still exuded blatant killing intent and shifted his gaze to where his finger pointed. That's when he saw it. A giant doll that looked like a rat, wearing clothes fit for a circus, was staring intently at Kenji.
"……What the hell is that……."
The aura wafting over wasn't unfamiliar. Until now he didn't know, but upon visual confirmation, he felt the fear surging in his heart resonating with 'that'. Kenji's face contorted abruptly as he looked back at Maestro.
"Your guess is correct."
Maestro was faster than Kenji opening his mouth. He turned his neck joint, gigi-gik, and stared at Kenji with his drawn-on face.
"That is a replica of 'Ecstasy'. A Mimesis that gained the Fear attribute through the duality of Mystery. In other words, the same as you. Nameless One."
"……"
"But it can't be seen as completely identical. That one moves with the Fear I replicated, but you have already escaped my control."
Maestro gestured for the doll to come closer as he continued.
"It's a simple story. If you scoop water from a lake and pour it into the sea, can it still be called freshwater? In that vast sea, can you precisely pick out the lake water I poured and distinguish between freshwater and seawater?"
"……"
"Impossible. Not only can it no longer be called freshwater, but I cannot even be sure the water I chose is freshwater. Your state is like that. Even if the Fear constituting your body was originally mine, now it is not. You arbitrarily reconstructed my Fear and simultaneously transformed it into something suitable for yourself. So I lost control over you, and you can use your power freely."
It was a long explanation. But it wasn't incomprehensible. It was also something he already knew in the first place. Kenji let out a deep sigh and withdrew the Fear enveloping his entire body. The ink that had been dripping and forming puddles on the ground instantly turned to smoke and disappeared.
"Conversely, that one moves as I command. I plan to give it free will if the experiment succeeds, but not yet. A master doesn't color a rough sketch."
"Enough, what does that have to do with the experiment."
"Impatient, are we. Fine. I have no intention of wasting time either."
Maestro turned his neck joint again, gigi-gik, and stared at the doll.
Then he uttered in a low voice.
"Can you interact with that."
"……Interact?"
Kenji frowned and asked back. Maestro nodded briefly and answered.
"Anything is fine. Simple contact, or combat. Anything as long as interaction is possible."
"What's the experiment for."
"Data."
Maestro sneered and twisted his joints as if asking why ask such a thing.
"How Fear and Fear react."
"……"
"Unfortunately, ordinary Amusudols didn't react with that. Probably due to the so-called difference in rank. Just as humans have little interest in bugs crawling on the dirt ground."
"……So, you want me, the somewhat successful product, to react with that?"
"Yes."
"Sounds damn dangerous even roughly heard."
Kenji spat out with a click of his tongue.
Simple contact? Easier said than done, in reality, it's no different from groping a beast's body. Look at the aura emanating from that doll. Its appearance is cute, but its aura is the opposite of its looks. The will to tear one's entire body apart just by getting close was directly conveyed.
Then combat?
'Doesn't seem like I'd lose.'
Right, doesn't seem like I'd lose, but the process definitely wouldn't be smooth. At the very least, serious injury must be expected, and if one makes a mistake, limbs would surely fly off. Of course, it might be an overactive imagination without even trying, but the aura emanating from that doll was unusual enough to have such delusions.
Kenji stared at the doll as if estimating, then muttered in a flat voice.
"Conversation is."
"Impossible."
Maestro outright rejected Kenji's question. He stared at the doll looking intently at him and continued.
"I also tried many times, but conversation never succeeded even once. One-sided communication seems possible, but even thatㅡ"
Squeak- Squeak squeak-
The doll's cry drowned out Maestro's voice. He twisted his limb joints slightly as if displeased and tried to continue the explanation. But Kenji was faster.
"What did you say?"
"……To continue, conversation must be mutualㅡ"
"Not you. Shut up, you bastard."
Kenji spat out while slapping Maestro's shoulder. Maestro's shoulder crumpled exactly with the handprint.
"Hey, what did you say?"
Kenji asked, looking beyond Maestro at the doll blinking its blank eyes. The doll stared at Kenji for a moment, then grinned and made a sound.
[Tasty-looking human!]
"……What?"
[Mating!]
At the following words, Kenji's face contorted like a demon's.
"This damn bitch."
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