Horror And Fun

I felt like something had just entered my body... I'm probably just imagining things.

After defeating Mary, I observed the phone that had fallen to the ground.

Items do not drop from bosses in the original game.

And even when I try to use it, it doesn't react.

It's a mysterious item.

Maybe a key item?

It happens sometimes.

An item that cannot be used or synthesized.

They are activated by collecting items with the same gimmick that exist in the game, or can only interact with certain objects, like a key that only reacts to one specific door.

It's a key item from a boss... So it's very suspicious.

Could it be that every boss has one?

Pierrot and Ms. Spider all have a wish, and if you grant it, you can get a key item. Is it such a cliché development?

If it is true.

Do I have it too?

"..."

"Ella? What's wrong with your face? Your complexion looks bad."

Eun-jeong was looking at me with worried eyes. I forced a smile and pretended to be fine.

"Of the two of us, I'm stronger, so don't worry..."

"Ella? Ella!"

My eyesight is shaking.

The tension was released from my body and my strength goes out.

Did I use too much power? I think I've used my power to the point of blurring like before.

"In the mirror... Put me in..."

With barely squeezed strength, I spoke to the children. The scene of the kids hurriedly holding a mirror at me was my last memory.

...

When I opened my eyes, I was in a full-length mirror.

As I carefully poked my head out of it, someone lightly hit my head with a book. Ouch.

"If you don't take care of yourself like before, you'll die soon."

It's Maria.

Like a nun, she cares about other people's health. A nun who cares about monsters... It seems unique, but it's actually quite a common cliché.

"I'm not dead, so it doesn't matter."

Since I'm not completely recovered, it consumes a lot strength to move outside.

Having fought with Mary and exhausted all my power, it's no wonder I have no energy to move around outside the mirror.

In other words, for my body to recover its strength, I need to rest inside the mirror.

"It is a sin not to respect one's body."

Even if you say that, it doesn't make sense.

It's not even my body in the first place. As I was not paying attention, Maria spoke again.

"The children were very worried."

"..."

"Pfft."

When she covered her mouth with a laugh, I felt uncomfortable.

I reflexively and bluntly asked a question because of my paranoid mindset common to loners who thinks that others laugh at them.

"What's so funny?"

"I mean, you didn't care, but as soon as I brought up the kids, you put on a look of self-reflection. How can I not laugh?"

Did I do that?

As a surge of embarrassment pricked me, I surrendered before things could get any worse.

"Haa... I understand, so please put away that warm gaze."

"You are such a cute child."

"Stop it!"

Slide.

Hearing my conversation with Maria, James opened the door and came in.

"So, you were alive."

"I have to say, both of you succeeded. To be honest, it was an unreasonable request."

I wasn't able to tell them how to defeat the monsters in the park.

It was just a little bit of a warning, so it was the same as bumping into a monster without any countermeasures.

I cautiously asked James.

"...How many died?"

Because they weren't warned, they most likely fell into the traps, so there must have been deaths. However, his answer was unexpected.

"There is no fatalities."

Oh. Thankfully nobody died.

James might be a greater person than I thought.

I was delighted with the good news and praised him.

"You are capable!"

"I wish that was the case... But it's because someone helped."

"Huh?"

"That's what I got from you. It's in liquid form, but it's an object that exerts strong power against plants. I was going to aim for the huge sunflower that seemed to be the center of the park with it."

James continued his explanation.

It was the time when they tried to aim for the huge sunflower with eyes, which is Mary's weak point and the center of the stage, but was unable to use the item and was pushed back little by little due to the fierce attacks of the monsters.

It was easy to install the relic itself if the group was sacrificed, so the moment he was about to put it into practice, a stage curtain appeared in front of his eyes, and in the blink of an eye, he arrived at the place where he could install it.

The artifact was installed, and the weak monsters around it were purified.

He said that he easily dealt with the weakened sunflower with the item I gave him.

"...A curtain."

You were watching us, Pierrot.

"You appear to have a guess."

"Do you remember the clown we met last time?"

"Of course."

"Maybe he was involved."

If you were watching, why didn't you help us when we attacked Mary?

It's not that he didn't help at all, but it's ambiguous.

Did you want to check something?

"I have to go see him. Let's go together this time. Like Mary, if I sloppily go meet him and accidentally get attacked, we all need to respond together. Before we depart, I'll explain what I know about Pierrot."

He's hard to find, and since we defeated Mary, we have no choice but to go where he's most likely to be.

We have to go to his stage, the amusement park.

I didn't want to go because there were a lot of monsters in the middle, but there's no choice.

"Is there any chance of winning if he becomes an enemy?"

"Hmm..."

It occurred to me that if I got better at using mirror ghost stories, I might be able to leave everyone safe.

However, the image of being able to win did not come to mind.

The appearance in the game where the barriers of the school were destroyed and the building itself was shaken was very impressive. Still.

"It's impossible with the head-on method, but I think there's a chance of winning."

"I see."

James seemed to question my attitude.

"...?"

"Is that judgment made because you grew up as a demon?"

"What?"

"When measured by the demon meter, you were only about a quarter of a demon. But now it's half. You have grown one step as a full demon."

"..."

"It is not uncommon for demons to steal the power of other demons. Since coveting power is in the realm of instinct, it seems that the power was taken unconsciously..."

Isn't this like another hidden setting in the game? I thought it would be something like a chunk of text from the creator that didn't particularly affect the flow of the game, but it's very embarrassing to hear it mentioned over and over again.

If it's from Mary, then the other bosses are also quarter demons.

What the hell does this mean, developer?

"It makes me very uncomfortable."

"I agree."

"I think it will be fine. Maybe."

"Are you planning to just gloss over it like that?"

No matter how much you squeeze your brain.

What you don't know, you don't know.

I roughly concluded that we should all go to meet Pierrot together and install artifacts on his stage. As I tried to run away to the children because Maria started nagging at me.

"Oh right. I got this from Mary. Any guesses?"

I showed Maria the white phone that had fallen from Mary.

The phone looked sacred. So I wondered if Maria, a nun, would know better.

"This..."

She put on a serious expression.

"It has the same properties as the artifacts we brought."

POV Switch - Third person

"You did better than I thought. The seed was well absorbed by the soul."

He mutters about how, thanks to planting the seed in a pure soul of a human, there was no resistance when it settled in another soul.

"What do you mean, Meph?"

A woman dressed as a researcher asked him. But Meph laughed and changed the topic.

"Ah. It's nothing. Amy, did the symptoms you consulted earlier get better?"

"It has improved unbelievably well. All the worries and ominous thoughts I had were washed away. Meph, you were right, They say time is medicine, but it must be true."

Amy smiled and looked at Meph. In her eyes, he was her all-around fixer.

"Ha ha ha. I would be glad if it was thanks to my counseling, but lately, everyone has said that their worries, dark thoughts, and fears were gone. Isn't this the virtue of everyone in the institution contributing to making the world a better place to live?"

"You're really humble. Oops, look at the time! I have to go!"

Amy seemed to have an appointment, so she rushed somewhere. But, perhaps she was in too much of a hurry, she made a loud bump as she hit something.

"...Oh dear... Has even the fear of bumping into something been taken away?"

"I'm not messing with you. It's just that the world I created is functioning well."

"In my opinion, the existence of a monster was a really good idea."

Meph sat down in his chair and crossed his legs.

He tapped the desk with his finger. The meaning of this act is because he's bored.

Then... Something caught on his finger. It was a book about a collection of urban legends.

"Oh yes. I should read these stories."

Meph chuckled as he read the book.

"Why are they so wacky and funny? After all, there is no difference between a urban legend and a joke. In the end, the horror genre was created for human amusement, so is it only natural?"

Fear is truly a stimulating spice in life if you look at it from the point of view of not dying.

People are afraid and tense while reading horror novels, but in the end, there is no harm to them, and haunted houses and roller coasters only makes you feel momentary fear, with no danger to their lives.

Of course, horror games are in the same context.

"As long as you don't die, a horror experience can be the most fun adventure ever. Going beyond games or novels, experiencing it yourself, struggling to live, and surviving in the end. Where else could there be an adventure as eventful as that? Is it not?"

Meph sought agreement.

To his friend in a world full of fun (jokes).

POV Switch - Ella

The kids greeted me as soon as they saw me. Among them, Eun-jeong came running to me like a train, and I opened my arms wide.

"Ella, you are okay!"

She put her head on my chest.

And then she grumbled softly.

Since I was becoming accustomed to Eun-jeong's sulking, I pressed my hand against her head, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Urgh?!"

In a very soft voice, she says, "This isn't something a mom does."

What mother. I'm your friend.

"Is it okay to stick your head in someone else's chest?"

"...Urgh~!"

"Wait, wait a moment?! Ahahahaha!"

I hurriedly let go of Eun-jeong and rolled on the floor.

As if seeking revenge, she climbed on my back as I was unable to move, suffering from the previous tickling.

Hey hey hey! Don't put your hands on my armpit! Are you trying to murder me?!

"Let's be civilized. What do you want?"

Unexpectedly, Eun-jeong erased her smile and put on a serious expression at my question.

I was nervous, afraid of what frightful favor she was about to ask.

"Please don't make us run away."

Huh?

"...Why are you saying that all of a sudden?"

I rolled my head, recalling whatever I did for her to be like that.

As if trying to solve my question, Kyeong-min held out his hand to me.

I took it and stood up as Eun-jeong got up from my back and stood next to Ha-rim.

"What do you want to say?"

"What I am about to say is the opinion of all of us."

What the hell is it?

"Even if we end up in danger, please don't make us run away and leave Ella alone."

"..."

"We are in the same club. Even if we run away from danger, we hope it will be together and get through it. No matter how scary or difficult it is."

What are these kids talking about?

Even good things should be done to the extent that is beneficial.

"Are you guys dumb? It wasn't specifically for your sake, you know? It was a carefully calculated strategic retreat. I thought you guys might end up dying in vain... I only took a slight risk."

"Ella can't be honest."

I got caught. It's only now that I realized, I'm the type who can't hide my feelings.

I didn't like the way they read my mind, so I answered with a pout.

"It's annoying how you understand the hidden meaning and still add a comment."

"...Don't pout. Promise us."

I took a deep breath. Time for a sermon.

"Sometimes, there are more important things than being stubborn. Right now, your lives are several times more important than that kind of stubbornness. Don't think luck will be on your side like this every time. Did you know that your request is basically for you to lock the emergency exit when escaping in case of danger?."

"Yes! Okay!"

If it's like that, the persuasion ended in failure as soon as it started.

"Do you really understand? That we could actually die? How can you be so positive about it? Eun-jeong, aren't you scared? Just being together doesn't guarantee victory, you know? It just means we could all die together!"

"Scary."

"Yes, it is."

Now we have a satisfactory answer.

"But I believe that Ella will make it less scary."

"No, it seems like my words aren't getting through. Are you saying you understand that you're in danger? Are you calling uncontrollable situations risks? Why don't you get it? Are you a kid?"

"If you ask me, we are kids, but..."

I'm going to lose my mind.

For some reason, these positive idiots seem to have gained confidence by somehow overcoming the last situation.

The misconception that after surviving such a terrifying experience, they could overcome anything!

It is truly a dreamy idea that a child would have!

"It was scary. It was really hard at first, so I shrank and froze for a moment. But since Ella was with me, I thought that no matter how scary and dangerous it was, I could do it. It feels nice thinking about it again!"

"We're happy when we're with Ella! So, no matter how dangerous the situation is, we'll overcome it together!"

Where is this "strange" world where such things are possible, exactly?

-Though it's realistic to say that and break the illusion.

I really want to make it.

A hope that all of those positive kids will survive the crisis and take this game as an adventure as if to show off.

I want to make a strange illusion that they can overcome any fear that comes their way.

I want to see children who eventually overcome fear and turn it into a plaything.

Can I do it?

...The answer to the question will be told by the results.

No matter what I say, it won't get through to them. I brushed my bangs aside and spoke to the faces that were shining with hope.

"Haa... Sure, okay."

Ha-rim brightly smiled.

"Especially Ha-rim, I decided to show you an adventure."

An adventure is not without risk.

I'm just going to be a fool this time. There is no resentment.

"It's a promise!"

I swear by crossing my fingers.

(Omake)

"What's that broken thing over there?"

"It's a monster we exterminated while waiting for Ella. Ha-rim quickly defeated it."

The monster that was eliminated was the [Monster of Collision].

Everyone has memories of bumping into something and being hurt.

It was a monster that embodied such fear.

"Even though it's weak, she's amazing."

Even if the risk is low, it would be difficult to find a strategy, but Ha-rim is amazing.

The developers who made so many monsters like that are also amazing.