Section 7: Nightmare Illusion (2/2)

Teehee, teeheehee...

There, she went down that staircase!

？！

Master, look! Over there!

(Zzz... Zzz...)

It's Lady Lily. She appears to be fast asleep.

All right, I think we had better get her out of Yeowch! Hothothot!

It seems she's in a cage made out of magical energy. And a very strong cage, at that.

Sessyoin Lily!

？！

It doesn't seem like noise will wake her up. Furthermore...

...we can't destroy the cage. Not without risking her life, at any rate.

What about our runes? Could we use them to open the cage?

I'm sure that we could, but it would take some time to analyze the lock.

So I think it would be faster if we look for a key instead.

？！

Unfortunately, I can't see any signs of a lock or a keyhole on this cage. It's made of magical energy, after all.

...Look, over there. An inscription on the wall.

Oh, so there is. Let me see what it says...

"Sacrifice living red to unliving steel..."

"...and the unseen cage's captive will be freed."

？！

Ooh, an environmental puzzle!

There must be more to this room than meets the eye. Come, let us look for this unliving steel and living red!

Understood. We'll search the area over by that pillar.

Of course, Honey. I'd be happy to join you.

Perhaps this fragment will fit neatly into this hollow... No, it seems not. Too bad; I really thought I had found something there.

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of obvious clues here, does there...?

Hmm, this won't do at all. I think I'll give them just a little help.

？！

It seems we will not have the luxury of proceeding at our own pace. Drat, they even have wax figures with them!

They're forcing themselves forward with such awkward, stuttering movements! It's so creepy to look at!

True, there is something disturbing about going up against such lifelike look-alikes!

(Oh geez, please tell me that pathetic excuse for a Lord Xiang Yu isn't among them.)

(I don't know what I'd do if it was. I could never destroy it myself, no matter how poorly it's made...)

(...but I also couldn't bear to let anyone else destroy it. On the other hand, I can't just let it attack us...)

It seems we must put our hunt for clues on hold while we attend to this more pressing matter.

Lord Sigurd, Lady Brynhild, would you two...

Huh? Lord Sigurd? Lady Brynhild!? Where did they go!?

...

Yu Mei-ren!? What happened to you!?

Yeah, yeah, I died again. There really wasn't anything I could have done this time.

This was death from Lord Xiang Yu!

...!?

Amidst all the chaos of battle, I saw that wax figure of Lord Xiang Yu get knocked over next to a torch...

...it hit the torch and started melting really, really fast.

So, before I knew what I was doing, I ran over to it and held it in my arms.

I guess he wasn't just made of wax, because he started burning so hot that I caught on fire along with him.

But I don't regret a thing. I'd do it all over again if I had to. I wouldn't be able to stop myself if I wanted to.

After all, pale imitation or not, it was still Lord Xiang Yu.

So THAT is why the dolls were so unusually difficult to defeat!

All right, maybe I have a FEW regrets...

It wasn't really Lord Xiang Yu, after all. Plus, now that it's melted, it's just a pile of colored wax...

Ulp.

P-please do not feel bad about this. I can understand why you did what you did.

So hey, on a different note, where's Sigurd and Brynhild?

Now that you mention it, I haven't seen them for a while either.

Maybe they went to investigate somewhere else before we were attacked?

There seems to be no end to these dolls. It feels as though we are in a scripted in-game event with infinitely spawning enemies...

In events like that, the only way to escape is to complete some task that advances the story.

If that applies here as well, maybe there is something else we should be doing... Hm?

Nnn... (Rolling over in her sleep)

!

Lady Mash, look! There in the cage!

Lady Lily just rolled over; do you see that thing beneath her?

Y-yes, I do! I didn't notice it before...but it looks like some sort of metal plate...

There seems to be something written on it as well. Let's see... "Mori"? As in the Japanese word for "forest"?

It could be the Latin word, which I think means "death."

I definitely remember the famous Latin expression "memento mori," which means "remember that death is inevitable."

I see. So if the word "death" is inscribed on this metal plate, does that mean

？！

I guess that's what we're supposed to sacrifice the living red to then, whatever it could be.

Indeed, so it would seem.

Ahh, I... I can't believe I did it again...!

That pillar is dripping with blood! What were you two doing back there? Don't tell me you were

We were not. This had nothing to do with my beloved's desires overwhelming her while we were alone in the dark, and everything to do with the ritual required to open this cage.

Of course, were it not for my Guts, I'd still have died.

I believe the "living red" mentioned in the riddle refers to freshly spilt blood.

If true, it would mean one of us must spill some blood in order to open the cage, so I decided that I should be the one to do so.

Thank you, my beloved. Everything worked just as planned, and it's all thanks to you.

I... Really?

W-well, if you're sure, then...maybe you're right...

Of course. There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever. Now come, let's apply some of this blood to the metal plate there.

It's working! The cage is melting away!

Oh goody, it worked!

I thought a fight with the dolls might draw some blood, but I guess the dolls weren't strong enough for that.

Hmm. I wonder if this will lead to a happy ending, or a sad ending...

Oh, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe the story won't end here at all.

Only the author can say one way or another.

All we characters in their story can do is sing until the last page is turned.

There were two birds sitting on a stone, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de...

One flew away, and then there was one, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de...

The other flew after, and then there was none, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de...

And so the poor stone was left all alone, Fa, la, la, la, lal, de...

Lily! Are you all right?

Nn... Nnn... Where am I...?

So, you don't remember how you got here?

Granted, we're still not sure what happened here ourselves.

All we know is that when we got back from the dreamworld, you were nowhere to be found.

Remember? ...No, I knew... I wanted this...

I HAD to be captured like this.

I had to experience the ritual of being set free from a cage in order to open up the cage inside me...

？！

Huh?

Ahh, it feels so good to finally be free. I can stretch again. What a delight.

？！

Oh, yes.

I suppose I should introduce myself, shouldn't I?

Especially to you. Hehehehehe.

Good day, everyone.

My name is Sessyoin Kiara. I do hope you have been enjoying this summer's illusions?

No way. Are you...

...Lily's mother?

A-are you not? You look so similar that I just assumed...

Think, Lady Mash. You seem to be forgetting one simple fact.

Servants do not have mothers.

Oh! Now that you mention it, they don't, do they?

...Wait. On second thought, that rule may not apply for Pseudo-Servants...

Then I suppose you are Lady Lily's mother. Should we address you as Madame Sessyoin then?

Hehehe.

Oh, thank you. I needed a laugh.

Ah, but if that was not a joke, then I fail to see the humor in so tasteless and baseless an assertion.

I might go so far as to say such an absurd notion is even offensive.

So offensive, in fact, that I may just withdraw the hand I'm using to save you by scooping the lot of you out of your present predicament.

Save us? What do you mean, save us? From what?

Hmm, good question. By way of introduction, permit me to reveal a small part of who I am.

Hehe... Hehehehehe...

Oh yeah, I know aaall about it.

These days, you can't go two trees in the mountains without running into a gaggle of camping hotties.

And yet, for some reason, the only things that ever wander into my tent are noisy buzzing insects.

How'm I ever gonna make my fantasy of a pretty girl mistakenly finding her way into my tent, followed by my sleeping bag, come true now?

Don't tell me I gave up my pirate life to live out here on the mountains for nothing?

Dammit, this ain't good. I'm running dangerously low on eye candy. Well then maybe I oughta take a page from my usual doujinerm, playbook...

Yeah, that's it. What sums up summer better than ServantFes?

Babes everywhere you look... Dreams coming true left and right... Now this is what I call heaven on Earth...

Mwahahahaha! I knew I liked mountains for a reason. They really take me back to my days on Mt. Ooe.

There's nothing like going around kidnapping beetles left and right like the fearsome oni I am!

Sure, all the beetles on this mountain might die out if I completely fill up my beetle cage...

But why should I care? I'm an oni! If you want me to stop wrecking things, then bring me tribute!

Oh, oh! I know! For every macaroon you bring me, I'll release one beetle. But hey, I'm reasonable. I'll accept shaved ice, too.

...Dammit, now I'm hungry. I wonder if Red Guy'll make me something if I bring him some beetles...

Whoa! I didn't know there was a place like this up on this mountain!

Now this town would totally be worth taking for ourselves. I'll have to let Shuten know about it, too!

But first, let's see what these candy houses taste like...

Wh-what was that? What did you do to them?

That is difficult to answer. All I can say right now is that I have made them happy.

Those other worlds we caught glimpses of must be illusions! And it seemed to me as though Lord Blackbeard and Lady Ibaraki-Douji disappeared inside them...

Yes, that's right. They're all living quite happily in illusions created from their own dreams.

...!

What's wrong with a happy illusion?

If the happiness is genuine, that its source is an illusion should not matter.

In this Singularity, there are really only two ways one can survive:

Live out their days in a dream, or live them out in an illusion.

All I'm doing is showing everyone the way.

Of course, should one try to resist the treatment they need, even the most potent drug could become a poison.

Indeed, should one insist they have no desire for happiness, well, it should be no surprise if something else swallows them up.

If one failed to protect someone dearest to him...or failed to reach their dearly desired destination...

...or decided to submit rather than rebel... Well, it's no wonder they would end up being consumed by nightmares.

Then...YOU did that to those people in the hotel!?

Hehehe... I can't be held responsible if they never learned to relax while they sleep.

Now then...

？！

As delightful as it has been to be awake again, it seems I woke a bit early.

Though my vows remain unchanged, it would be the height of rudeness to let something slip through my fingers just because I've not yet fully roused myself.

I do hope you won't mind if I just take a little time to myself to freshen up. Hehe...hehehehe...

Geez, talk about speaking in riddles and vague crap. What was that Servant's deal?

I'm not sure. I can't tell what connection she has to Lily, either.

But given what she said about that dream hotel...

...I can only assume that she plays a key part in whatever's going on here.

Agreed. That was final boss energy if I have ever seen it!

So, does this mean that beautiful womanSessyoin Kiara is the one responsible for this Singularity?

？！

While there are some parts that still nag at me, I do think that is fundamentally correct.

What is nagging at you?

Well... I suppose it's more of a feeling that something is off?

If Lily's motherNo, that's not right.

If this mysterious relative of Lily's, Sessyoin Kiara, is responsible for this Singularity...

...then what are we to make of this mountain?

True, there is still much we don't know about what this mountain really is...

Yes, exactly.

You make an excellent point, my beloved Brynhild. I'll be sure to keep your concerns in mind.

In the meantime, I think we are done with this place for now.

Yes, I agree. There doesn't seem to be anything more we can do here for the time being.

Why don't we all return to the cottage?

That sounds good to me. Shall we go back, Master?