Chapter 4 - Fairy tale
“...Uh, eh…”
Shidou groaned softly yet articulately while peeking through his fuzzy eyes. It was difficult to distinguish whether reality was blurred or if the blur was reality.
Shidou meticulously rubbed his eyes in order to restore his distorted vision, and the hazy scenery gradually clarified.
“.....?”
However, an abnormal discordant sensation ensued as the appearance of his periphery became clear. It was as if Shidou was reclining on a bed-like structure, although the encompassing space was obviously an unfamiliar place for him.
“Where is… this place…?”
Shidou furrowed his brows as he propped his body up with a rustle. It would appear that the piece of furniture he was surreptitiously lying on was made of interwoven rice straws. On closer inspection, the weathered housing, which Shidou had found himself in, was likewise made out of similar material - the tatterdemalion walls and ceiling, every ramshackle nook and corner.
“This is….”
Shidou’s shoulders abruptly shuddered.
Just a few moments ago, he was inside Ratatoskr’s secret warehouse being engulfed within the pages of a book on Westcott’s discretion.
“Am I… inside a story…?”
Shidou’s expression distorted with bewilderment as he sluggishly left the obsolete bed. Something was wrong. His body felt seemingly deteriorated as his movements were somehow less nimble. Shidou doubtfully gazed upon himself and noticed that he was wearing thick cotton clothes for some reason.
“What's with these clothes… it's so inconvenient.”
Shidou pursed his eyebrows while moving his body, and removed the linen clothes. Discarding the mask covering his face, Shidou forcefully flexed his neck. Afterwards, he observed the collar of the stripped outfit and turned away with incomprehension.
“.....A pig?”
Flesh-colored skin in addition to curved, folded ears and the characteristic protruding snout, Shidou was wearing an amusing stuffed animal costume which generally appeared in folktales. He instantly recognized his current resemblance and his body froze motionless.
“...Pig… straw house… could this be…”
At that moment, the entire hut was unexpectedly blown away by a violent windstorm, destroying the already worn out framework.
“U-uwaah!?”
Shidou, whose steps were unsteady due to the intense pressure, was also thrown onto the ground along with the piles of rubble.
“It hurts… what happened?”
Shidou racked his brain as he quaveringly stood up while protecting his head on reflex with his arms. The cause of the massive destruction was evident by then. An expansive shadow had blanketed Shidou entirely.
“.....”
Shidou lifted his head with considerable unease. What had materialized before him was a gargantuan wild beast that could effortlessly intimidate any onlooker with its fearsome disposition. Its sharp and pointed jaws were bared, only to be rivalled by its hound canine fangs which appeared to target Shidou. A pair of gleaming, penetrating eyes marked him as prey.
Fulvous hair furred the entire length of its mammalian body. Its towering height, several times taller than that of Shidou’s, only served to magnify his minuscule proportions comparatively. With its bipedal stature, the predatory creature resembled the villainous antagonist of a children's story. Canis lupus - the wolf.
“Kehehe, delicious pig-chan. I'll eat you in one bite!”
The wolf greedily licked its mouth with the tip of its tongue in an exaggerated manner, splattering spit all over the barren ground and onto Shidou’s unfortunate head.
“T-that…”
Shidou trembled while perspiring profusely.
“Wait a moment. Calm down, I'm…”
“Gaaaaaaaah!”
The wolf extended its gaping jaws towards Shidou, with utter disregard for his words.
“Uwaaaaaaah!?”
Aside from the wolf's exterior impression and behavior, it was a comical character if not for its unruly boldness and the bestial odor coming from its body. Shidou could only think of one thing - death. He shouted till his lungs burst and escaped from there while in his lamentable state.
“Hahahaha, you can't run from the likes of me!”
The wolf howled, loud enough to shake even the surrounding air, and chased behind
Shidou. By that time, his mind must’ve already been cleared of all chaotic distractions as he ran for his very life. The stuffed animal costume, the straw house and the wolf in hot pursuit…it seemed like
“...The Three Little Pigs!?”
Shidou recited the title which popped up in his head while running past the vast grasslands. True, The Three Little Pigs is an excessively well-known fairy tale. Each of the three pig brothers built their own separate houses. The eldest brother who used straw and the second brother who used wood had their huts dismantled to debris by the big bad wolf. Only the youngest brother who had devoted his time and used bricks to build his house was ultimately safe. At least, that's how the story goes. Shidou contrasted the story he recalled with his current predicament. He had slept in that rice straw hut… which signified that…
“I'm the first brother that gets eaten, aren't I!?”
Shidou yelled, almost as if he was crying.
“Come back here, pig-chaaaan!”
The wolf roared in a voice which wholly inundated the former’s feebleness.
Perhaps it was sheer luck, or that fate was in his favor. The wolf which was on Shidou’s trail was pursuing him at a pace unfitting for a four-legged beast, due to it awkwardly standing on its hind limbs. As a result, the ridiculous animal couldn't exert enough energy to overtake Shidou’s speed. Nevertheless, he too had almost reached his limit - his whole body ached, his muscles fatigued, his heart and lungs anguished from all the circulation.
“Hah… huu…”
The moment Shidou stopped; he would be swallowed into the wolf's gluttonous belly right away. Thus, he maintained his speed, faltering now and then as he sought for a way to break free.
“.....!”
Unaware of how long he was being chased in a life and death situation, Shidou spotted a tiny building ahead. Furthermore, it wasn't the second brother's plain wooden hut. He knew it was impolite to barge in, but his current circumstances warranted otherwise. So Shidou crudely entered the house and locked the door behind him.
“Ha… ha… ha…”
Shidou leaned his weight against the door, doing all he could to prevent any subsequent entry. A few knocks from the other side echoed throughout the room, scaring the daylight out of him. He pressed on as long as he could and continues to counter the wolf as he vigorously strikes the fragile door. After some time had elapsed, the sounds hushed as well, quietening until only silence could be heard. The wolf must've already abandoned trying to wreck Shidou’s refuge.
“S-safe at last…”
He slowly regained his lost composure and stabilized his uneven respiration by stretched out on the floor. Shidou blithely raised his head as if he had neglected something crucial. He recollected that the final scene enacted in the story involved the wolf attempting to invade the youngest brother's brick-and-tile house through the chimney after failing to destroy it repeatedly.
“This place doesn't look like it was built by the other pig brothers. Anyone here…?”
Shidou yelled in order to inform any inhabitants of the impending perilous chimney invasion by a ravenous wolf.
“Excuse me! Is anyone here!?”
An almost inaudible whisper could be heard from inside one of the interior rooms, quiet enough as if it was replying to whoever spoke the line itself.
“Y-yes… who might you be….?”
It looks like someone was there. Shidou felt obliged to tell whoever it was about the danger—
“....Nn?”
Shidou unconsciously inclined his head. He had heard that familiar voice before.
“Just now it was…”
Shidou wrinkled his eyebrows as he approached the source of the previous frequency and peeped into the room. Just as he had expected, a young girl who he knew very well stood there. She has hair like flowing ocean waves and a petite stature in addition to a rabbit puppet mounted on her left hand.
“S-Shidou-san?!”
“...Shidou-kun, good grief!!!”
Yoshino and Yoshinon, who were also pulled into the book world previously, widened their glowing eyes in astonishment. Shidou heaved a sigh of relief and entered the room.
“Yoshino-Yoshinon, are you two okay?!”
“Y-yeah… it's good to see you, Shidou-san!”
“Un, but Shidou-kun, where is this place hm?”
Yoshinon skewed its head.
“I'm not all too sure myself. When I woke up, I found myself in the Three Little Pigs’ story….eh?”
Shidou halted his sentence midway. Since he was overwhelmed by the touching reunion with Yoshino and Yoshinon, Shidou didn't immediately catch sight of the differences in their apparel. The lovable dresses there were ones that only appeared fairy tales - a cute white blouse, a fancy skirt with decorative lacing, along with a red hood and cloak. She inexplicably resembled Little Red Riding Hood.
“Y-Yoshino…your attire?”
“I don't know. It was already like this when I woke up. Then I was called to granny's place…”
“Yup yup, for some reason we can't use our powers and angel, and we don't know anything about this place!”
Small droplets of sweat beaded atop Shidou’s forehead as he listened to their qualms. It was worthy of praise that even Japanese people had heard of these stories. The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood were indeed worldly famous fairy tales. As the story goes, when little red riding hood arrives at her grandmother's house, she was already…. Shidou feigned repugnance at such a thought. He noticed that somebody, or something, was wriggling under the bed sheets inside the room.
“Ah little red riding hood, is there a guest?”
A voice resounded that was rather doughty for an old lady.
“Y-yes. About that… grandma, I should be going soon. I'll put the bread and grape wine right here.”
As Yoshino said that, the grandma swayed under the quilt with a snort.
“Good girl, good girl. You even brought me a delicious pig despite my condition.”
The next moment, an enormous wolf squeezed out of the blankets, disguised in pajamas, a hat and a pair of glasses. That was the same wolf that had chased after Shidou all the way there.
“Yaaaaaah!?”
“Uah! Grandma turned into a wild animal?”
The ventriloquist pair yelled out in shock. The wolf ripped its pretentious clothing and jeered at them.
“Long time no see, pig-chan. Did you think that you could get away that easily?”
“Whaaaa! How did you…!”
Shidou gave out a shocked tone, dumbstruck by the non-sequential series of events which had occurred. Common sense dictates the impossibility of that identical wolf concealing itself inconspicuously under the blanket when it had been chasing Shidou from the beginning.
“Haha, what nonsense are you spouting in ‘this world’? Forget it; allow me to gorge on your succulent flesh!!!”
“Escape fast, Yoshino, Yoshinon!”
“Y-Yes!”
Shidou firmly grasped Yoshino’s hand and exited the house in a flurry, stomping on the doorstep. Like before, they fled to the wilderness in disarray to shake off the wolf. Even so, Shidou, who was leading Yoshino, reached his body's maximum capacity after some time and carelessly slipped in his thoughtlessly.
“Kuh….”
He somehow managed to let go of her delicate hand amidst the disorder so that she didn't stumble as a consequence. However, a substantial amount of time was required to painstakingly attain the former speed, especially after decelerating to rest.
“Shidou-san!”
Yoshino was worried and lent a hand to help Shidou. But it was too late. A vast gloom had formed above the disabled Shidou and the nearing Yoshino.
“Nowhere left to run.”
The wolf's eyes glistened with insatiable hunger as it intently watched their every move. Shidou oppressed a breath and gave Yoshino a push with all the might he could muster.
“Yoshino, run! Hurry!”
“No! I won't abandon Shidou-san! I'm not running away!!”
“Ahahaha! Very well, how exquisite! I trust that you won't have any misgivings. Now then, I shall begin my feast!”
The wolf opened its jagged jaws wide to gobble up the both of them in one big mouthful. Shidou embraced Yoshino as if to adamantly protect her till the very end. He gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. Yet it never happened no matter how long they awaited. Meanwhile, the metallic resonance of a katana being impaled could be heard, along with several loud gunshots accompanied by the excruciating woes of the wolf.
“Kuhh, who are you people?!”
“Eh?”
Shidou lifted his head out of curiosity after hearing the wolf's unusual howls of agony. Two girls had emerged there, standing guard and defending him.
“Are you okay? Shidou! Yoshino!”
“Ehehe, that was a close call, Boy.”
“Tohka! And Nia!?”
Shidou couldn't be gladder when he confirmed the duo’s identities verbally. Indeed, in that moment of imminent peril, two girls had appeared out of nowhere. Tohka was wearing a glittering feather-woven war garment with breezy short pants and hardwood
sandals and holding a polished katana in her hand. Nia, on the other hand, was in a long black coat and wielded dual silver pistols in each hand. Although their outfits were as eccentric as Shidou’s, theirs were specifically designed for the character roles of skilled combatants, unlike his and Yoshino’s. They had launched a brutal offensive against the wolf to protect Shidou.
The wolf's carapace was inflicted with stabs and gashes, along with bullet wounds all over. Even so, it didn't reveal any cowardice and merely deepened its ferocious taunt while muttering crippled sufferings on the bloodstained ground.
“Hmph, tenacious beast. I guess simplicity doesn't convert well to strength.”
Nia aimed her guns as if she was blatantly conveying her inconvenience. She looked in
Tohka’s direction and continued her rant.
“Tohka-chan. That dumpling on your waist, why don't you unleash it on that damned mutt?”
“Un, this one?”
Tohka nodded in agreement and executed Nia’s suggestion. She fished out a millet dumpling from the pocket on her waist and hurled it at the wolf.
“Here it goes.”
“Gaaaaaaaaaa-a?”
Regarding it as an attack from Tohka’s side, the wolf hastily opened its mouth and ate the dumpling, swallowing the rice ball in amazement. The next second, the wolf entered a remarkable, almost deceiving, trancelike sitting posture that was different from its previous vulgar figure.
“Oh, scrumptious! Not sure what you're up to, but my stomach shall welcome you all!!”
“Eh….?”
The wolf lowered its head apologetically as Shidou gasped.
“Yaa pig-chan and little red riding hood-san, I'm sorry for what I did. I was too enthusiastic since I was really starving…”
“Ah, uh….”
The sudden discontinuity in the wolf's attitude startled Shidou. At the same time, Nia chuckled with a slight hint of derision.
“As expected of Momotarou's dumplings, it sure is effective against dogs,”
Nia praised as she patted Tohka’s shoulders. Like she said, Tohka’s dress up could easily be recognized by any Japanese person. Japan's number one folklore, the Peach Boy. 1
“Is such a thing called a dumpling….?”
“Well, the details don't matter,”
Nia explained as she shrugged her shoulders. Although some things weren't so elaborated yet, it was as she expounded. Shidou could unwind and rest at last, and deliberately sprung up to his legs to confront the pair.
“Umm… thanks, Tohka, Nia.”
“Un, what matters is that you're fine.”
Tohka smiled as she expertly sheathed her blade into its scabbard with a clank. Her hair was tied into a single ponytail and she wore a trademark headband across her forehead. Somehow, her costume emitted a peculiar sense of masterful coordination.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, never mind. Anyway, do you know where this place is, Nia? Are we rolled up inside <Beelzebub>?”
Being interrogated by Shidou in such a way, Nia abashedly let out an *un* of acknowledgement.
“Not exactly… Sure, we are in <Beelzebub>, but we’re not only in <Beelzebub>. To be precise, the fantasy we're seeing is an adjacent world created by <Beelzebub>.”
“Another world?!”
Shidou furrowed his eyebrows when he listened to her inferred conclusion. The Adjacent World - that was where the Spirits were stranded without any hope.
“It just looks like that. Basically, we're in a separate space cut off from the external world.”
“I-I see, then what about Yoshino’s and everyone's clothing?”
“Un, the Phantom Library is based on everyone's imagination. Fantasies and dreams are the blueprints which depict this space.”
“That means?”
“Well, in summary, <Beelzebub> gathers information about various monogataris and combines their scenarios. We, being trapped inside it, are also mixed in among them.” 2
“Monogatari…”
“Yeah. Your clothes look rather ordinary, Boy. Did you associate them with anything?”
“Ah, when I woke up I was in a stuffed pig costume, and then I got chased by this wolf…”
“Huh? Oh of course, the Three Little Pigs! Ahh why did you take it off?! I wanna see…”
“D-don’t make a fuss about that!”
As Shidou declined Nia in shy embarrassment, he observed everyone's appearances anew. Indeed, everyone was wearing costumes of different fairy tale characters. Shido’s the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Momotarou, furthermore—
“Hm?”
Shidou gave a puzzled expression towards Nia.
“Nia, which character are you?”
Although he could roughly deduce the others’ attires fundamentally, Shidou couldn't make out who Nia’s was. At the very least, he had never seen such a protagonist in any of the stories which he had heard of before.
“This? It's Silver Bullet’s Fatima.”
“Silver Bullet…. Huh, isn't that the manga you drew?!”
Nia’s contradictory answer caused Shidou to exclaim in derangement, even though it was a bona fide fact. Her clothes inexplicably shared a striking similarity with the leading hero in Honjou Souji’s manga, Silver Bullet.
“Kukuku, there's nothing strange about producing a plot, Boy. The probability of a popular piece of work to rise in the rankings is high, passing a lot of others for granted. But in my case, my monogatari was realized by the hand of fate!”
“R-Really? And I thought it was restricted to only fairy tales…”
“Nonsense. If we're talking about people's opinions about stories, they exist no matter where you are. As a convenient analogy for the public, isn't there an extremely popular and also familiar modern character that likes walking in big strides? You know, that renowned black and white mouse—”
“Stop! I don't think you should touch on that particular topic.”
Shidou yelled while shaking his head from side to side.
“A-Anyway, I've acquired an approximate understanding about what kind of place we're stuck in. But I was unconscious when I came here… do you know how much time has passed since then?”
Shidou restlessly crooked his brows and enquired such. When he and the others had first arrived there, they were in route to Ratatoskr. If they blindly squander away their precious time, Ratatoskr’s base would probably be ravaged by either Mukuro from the cosmos or DEM’s devilish claws until practically nothing remained. As if she noticed Shidou’s anxieties, Nia gently unfolded his clenched palms to soothe his uneasiness.
“Well, haste brings no success. Boy, you need to calm down at a time like this. The flow of time is slower in this world, nothing major should happen in a short while.”
“I-Is that so?”
Her words gave his mind some peace. Nia resumed her speech.
“Though that'd be great, we still haven't found a way out or any prerequisites for that, so we shouldn't be too relaxed.”
“That's right, I almost forgot. How are we supposed to get out of here?”
Nia crisscrossed her hands on her chest, troubled by the sudden question.
“Well… the only surefire method is to get Westcott to reopen the passageway with <Beelzebub>, but…”
“Hmm…”
Shidou exposed a cumbersome expression. There was no way that he and the others could entrust their hopes to the very foe that had captured them. First and foremost, even if Westcott wanted to liberate them for some reason, it would only be after he had achieved all of his selfish objectives.
“Besides that… we have no other choice but to seek a character that's able to smash this world from the inside. Either one of those protagonists that only come on stage in fairy tales, or possibly an omnipotent superhero…”
“Does someone like that even exist?”
“Yeah, this world consists of all kinds of monogataris mingled together, be it ancient or modern. I'm not sure which one has that type of role, but even if there is one, don’t you think that he will be willing to lend us his power readily.”
Shidou pursed his eyebrows carelessly towards Nia’s statement. He was completely unaware of how absurdly broad that world was - it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Yet, Shidou was unable to stay still and plainly do nothing. He poured out a light breath, raising his head decisively.
“In short, we should find everyone else first. Kotori and the others must have been sent flying to somewhere here too.”
“Un, that's about it.”
“In that case, let's begin. It'd be meaningless to return if everyone isn't here.”
Shidou said that resolutely as the others nodded in endorsement. However, Tohka awkwardly hugged her chest with both hands.
“But Shidou, how will we do that?”
“Um, that's…”
Shidou was at a loss for words to reply her. As a policy, it was the right thing to do. But frankly, he hadn't the slightest clue as to how. Shidou vexingly sank into deep thought. The wolf, which had remained reticent up till then, was attentively listening to their heated conversation and slowly raised its paw.
“About that, could it be that you're looking for your companions who came into this world together with you?”
“Ah, that's correct.”
Shidou answered perplexedly to the courteous wolf which had undergone a total personality change just a few moments ago. The wolf haughtily thumped its chest in pride and continued.
“Then this nose of mine may come in handy. With regards to this world, you guys are foreigners with a unique smell. I can sniff out this peculiar odor and follow its traces.”
“R-Really?”
“Rather competent eh, wolf.”
Tohka’s facial expression brightened with vivid liveliness as she petted its furry head.
The wolf certainly regarded the person who had fed it a dumpling as its master, barking cheerfully.
“Saa, we should get a move on and set out. Although it's meager, I sense something in a small town north of here.”
“We'll depend on you then.”
Shidou forced strength into both feet and shakily stood up. But due to excessive usage, his exercised legs soon toppled over after a split second of frailty.
“Otto-to…”
“A-Are you okay, Shidou?”
“Aah I'm fine, just a bit tired.”
Hearing Shidou’s words, the wolf felt a twinge of guilt and curved down its ears.
“Truly sorry, it's my fault. Let me transport little pig-san as an apology.”
“There's no need to go that far.”
“No no, don't worry about it. Come, please enter my mouth. I'm the type that swallows my prey whole and doesn't bite. I'll regurgitate you when we arrive, don't worry.”
“........”
Shidou could only shake his head in silence towards such an unduly frightening offer.
♢♢♢
“....-ri! Kotori!”
“..... no… such thing.”
Under her ever fading consciousness, Kotori’s frail ears heard a nostalgic voice.
Nevertheless, her body was unable to detect any sufficient stimulus, and it wasn't limited to only her physical body. Even the cognition of her brain was incapable of issuing a response. The only thing that governed Kotori’s sleepy body at that time was profound drowsiness. Her cold hands and feet were frostbitten until she couldn't even feel them anymore. If she were to surrender to the unyielding demon of sleep then, it would be unlikely for her to wake up ever again. Although this specific point was well understood in her wavering mind, Kotori couldn't surge up any meaningful effort to resist. Only a thin sliver of withering awareness remained in her, and it was dropping little by little into the bottomless void of slumber, like tiny grains of sand in an hourglass.
“Ah Shidou, good timing. Kotori’s out cold!”
“Request. This is extremely dangerous. Please carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation.”
“...Uah, fondling her chest right from the start. Truly brave.”
“Disregard. A little won't matter in urgent situations like this. Please engage directly.”
“...W-W-What are you doing!!”
Kotori yelled unbearably as she felt her two breasts being kneaded. She instantly opened her eyes in surprise, only to discover that the person passionately fondling her chest wasn't her dear brother Shidou, but two girls with identical faces.
“What are you doing…? Kaguya, Yuzuru,”
Kotori asked with half a glance. They looked at each other and immediately turned to Kotori. They were wearing simple and crude clothing and carried some sizable luggage. Although their outfits were alike, Kaguya was wearing short pants whereas Yuzuru was wearing a skirt. Their physiques and hairstyles were similar, augmenting the fact that they were born as twins.
“Kuku, we’ve deceived you good, Kotori.”
“Agreement. Shidou’s name awakens you with great efficacy through the power of love.”
The two girls who had been massaging Kotori’s bosom up till then unhurriedly wandered their fingers. Kotori suddenly brushed them off and attempted to stand up, only to collapse onto the ground in exhaustion.
“A-Anything wrong?”
“Worry. You appear to be fully debilitated.”
“....Of course I'm weak.”
Kotori exhaled a foggy breath and weakly gazed at the wretched condition of her surroundings. Their current location was one that only showed up in fairy tales, an
ordinary street in a foreign country. The problem, however, did not lie there, but in the treacherous climate. As far as her eye could see, everything was pure white. The endless snow had dyed the entire scene in a fluffy blanket of silvery white. Under the harsh weather, Kotori only wore simple and crude clothing, without any decent barrier against the icy winter cold. It was inevitable for her body to be weakened. She peered inside the frosted basket in her hands, and encountered a pile of soggy matches.
“Really… I look like The Little Match Girl.”
“The Little Match Girl?”
“Enquiry. What is that?”
The twins inclined their heads in the same direction and Kotori replied with a minor sigh.
“It's a children's story written by Andersen. A poor girl tries to sell matches in the street in the winter, but couldn't sell even a single match. Unable to tolerate the frigid cold, the girl ignited the matches to warm herself…. *achu*” 3
Kotori sneezed halfway through her storytelling. Although she was painstakingly revived by the Yamai sisters, her dire situation hadn't improved much compared to before.
“A change of place seems proper. ‘Tis much cold-seasoned.”
“Consent. We must evade the snow somewhere else.”
Kaguya and Yuzuru firmly pulled onto Kotori’s hands as if supporting her shoulders upright, and trampled across the unimpeded snowfield. After numerous minutes had elapsed, the three finally arrived at a narrow, cramped alley. Naturally, the cold was still present everywhere, but that place was a disposal site for waste scraps so there weren't any gusts of freezing wind blowing through. Thanks to the many overhead roofs of the condensed buildings, the snowfall couldn't accumulate on the tundra-like ground.
“Indoors would be preferable, but we ought to make do with this alternative.”
“Approval. If only we had a fire.”
Yuzuru said while looking into Kotori’s basket as she realized a brilliant idea. Kotori, who already knew what Yuzuru was thinking of, reciprocated by extracting a box of matches from the basket in her hands.
“Though this is merchandise, I can't do anything about it so allow me to use it like the little match girl did.”
Kotori declared as she took out a match from the box.
“By the way, the story's incomplete. What did the girl do after that?”
“Ah that….”
Kotori struck the match against the side of the box for friction and the tip burst into flames. The next moment, faintly discernable hallucinations of lukewarm soup, roasted chicken and various other delicacies drifted in the finite space illuminated by the fire.
“Waa, what is this sorcery?!”
“Astonishment. Cuisine appeared out of nowhere.”
The Yamai sisters widened their eyes, astounded. Kotori was no exception. Although she was placed in the little match girl's position, Kotori didn't expect to view such phenomena. But the match could only burn for that long. After all, the puny flame could only last for mere seconds and soon died out, along with all the delicious illusions.
“Ah… it vanished.”
“Wonder. What an unthinkable event. Is there an ingredient in the match that can incur these imaginations?”
“I don't think it's related to that….”
Kotori grinned wryly. Kaguya was exuberantly captivated by the remaining matches.
“Then did the story proceed this way?”
“Ah well… the girl lit the matches after that, and saw visions of the happiness she never had. She passed away peacefully the next morning.”
“Eh… how did it become so sad?”
“Suggestion. If so—”
Yuzuru thought of something and quickly gathered a few pieces of timber from the recesses of the road to construct an impromptu bonfire.
“Request. Kotori, ignite this.”
“Eh? Alright.”
Kotori hurriedly scraped a match and kindled the disused wood. The previously unreliable spark soon turned into a robust fire. As if in direct proportion to the flame, the scenes of dainty delicacies manifested once again like an infinite supply of recherché food, a nice and warm stove, and the image of a gently smiling Shidou.
“Uwaah, a mirage?! It looks so lifelike!”
“Amazement. Even Shidou is here, sure enough he responded to Kotori’s heart.”
“S-Shut up... forget it. Thank goodness we're warm.”
Using the matches to arbitrarily light a bonfire somehow violated the sullen atmosphere of the little match girl, but survival required sacrifice. No matter how joyous or morose a story was, playing the main character and freezing to death under the snow wasn't worthwhile. For the sake of retaining her body temperature, Kotori thrust her stiff hands above the bonfire and her numb fingers regained their sense perceptions at last. As if in concert, her mourning stomach furtively let out a low-pitched grumble.
“Hm? Kotori, are thou famished?”
Kaguya asked with concern, causing Kotori’s cheeks to blush red with bashfulness.
“Kuh…. What can I do, it's so cold… If only I could eat these.”
Kotori yearned as she extended her emaciated hand towards the fluttering images. However, the optical illusions were only virtual images, so Kotori could only clutch the airy nothingness futilely.
“Should’ve expected this much…”
Kotori muttered to herself with unreconciled dissatisfaction. Simultaneously, Kaguya clapped her hands while theorizing a sudden notion.
“Hey, Yuzuru that stuff from before.”
“Eureka. We do possess that.”
“What is it?”
Kotori wrinkled her eyebrows utterly baffled by the twins’ synchronized exchange. Afterwards, Kaguya and Yuzuru advertently unfolded the bulky luggage that they had subtly carried along with them, revealing a mysterious item to Kotori.
“This is….!”
Kotori was completely overwhelmed with awe, flabbergasted as expected. The reason was simple. What Kaguya and Yuzuru had taken out from the bags on their back was a colorful variety of gingerbread biscuits, sugary sweets and pastries galore.
“You two, where did you get these?”
“Hm? I hath awakened with Yuzuru inside the forsaken Schwarzwald. Together we explored athwart the cursed Black Forest, and encountered the devil's candy abode.” 4
“Explanation. Due to hunger, we fetched a portion of the house's walls and roof.”
“Wha….”
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