Part 5
— Boundary wall, stage area. Operation headquarters of the festival, quarantine room.
In the room filled with peaceful air, Kasukabe Yō woke up.
Because of the fever, her movements were as sluggish as a layer of fog, plus her consciousness was still not quite clear.
Due to the uncomfortable position of sleeping, Kasukabe flipped her body. Now she was sure that besides her, there was also—
"......Izayoi?"
"Oh? You are awake. How are you feeling?"
Izayoi turned his head around, it looks like he was reading a book whilst sitting beside Kasukabe.
Although Kasukabe did not know what was written in the book, it probably contained data of reference for solving this game.
6 days have passed since the negotiations. Out of the members in [No Name], only Kasukabe was infected with the Black Death, who was currently being locked up in the quarantine room, taking separate action from Kuro Usagi and the rest.
Looking at Izayoi ignoring the fact that this was a quarantined room and slipping into the room leisurely, Kasukabe could only ask dumbfoundedly:
"Have you found the trail for solving this game?"
"Un......We generally know it, but have not yet dug out the core."
Flipping to a new page, Izayoi replied while shrugging his shoulders.
The game will begin tomorrow evening, but the opinions of the participant side have not yet been conformed.
Morale was terribly low due to the never-ending scenario of comrades being isolated one by one. It was because of Sandra's arrangements that Kasukabe had gotten a room, while the others had to be squeezed together outside.
Currently the biggest problem was the condition to win for the participant side: [Shatter the False Legend, Making the True Legend Known]. There wasn't any solid answer for this statement yet, which also contributes to why the opinions had yet to be conformed.
"Although the investigation has roughly ended, there were too many differences during the explanation, which is the current feeling right now."
"......Specifically?"
"Here." Izayoi passed a piece of paper to Kasukabe, on it was a memo written by him regarding the investigations.
Ratten= German for mouse. Demon incarnate that can manipulate both rats and humans.
Weser= Flooding disaster of land and river. Demon incarnate that can control natural phenomena like landslides.
Strom= German for storm. Demon Incarnate related to storms and other atmosphere.
Pest= Speculation was that the spotted clown could manipulate the cause of infection "Rat". Demon incarnate of black death.
[False legend]、[True legend] probably means for the above-mentioned demons, the real story that happened in Hamelin on Year 1284, June 26th.
".......? Even though you all understand that much, and yet?"
"Yeah, although we have understood that much, but...."
Izayoi halted on his words and seemed to think about how he should explain, while continuing to reply intermittently:
"Do you remember when Kuro Usagi had summoned us, she talked about the [Parallel world intersection theory]?"
"Un, I remember."
"That seemed to be one of the ways to summon people into the Little Garden, a method called [Multi-manifold assembly type]. In short—[Even if the timeline of the parallel phenomenon that occurred is not similar, eventually the results will be that it will converge at the same point]...........Is that more understandable?"
"Un. meaning to say, that there are a few ways for the timeline to reach the intersection [Absolute a] of formula Ω(Killing method) right?"
Oh? Izayoi slightly tilted his head.
"Yeah.......Main point is indeed that. What it is, your explanation is tons of time better than Kuro Usagi's. I should use your method to explain to Ojou-sama then."
"Is that so, after that?"
"In other words, Forumla Ω（Killing method=∥ Formula w（Weser）= Formula Ｘ（Ratten）= Formula ｙ（Strom）= Formula ｚ（Pest）= Absolute α. This formula seems to equal the demons having more spirit power than average. And I guess that, Among = unable to set up textual criticism........is either the [True Legend] or [False Legend]."
The legend of [Piper of Hamelin] doesn't have any specific truth.
However they could discuss which was potentially the strongest most textual criticism.
But they were still unable to prove that the textual criticism was the truth. At least it was Izayoi who did not know what was the truth.
Coughing a few times, Kasukabe sat up because of the uncomfortable feeling in her body due to the fever and asked a question:
"Then, let's not discuss the truth behind it first. Who do you think is the fake?"
"Formula z (Pest)."
Izayoi answered immediately. His expression clearly indicated that he was confident about his conclusion.
"Spirited away, storms, natural disaster......It was clear that that the methods were all immediate death, except for Black death which was a chronic disease. However, the story of [Piper of Hamelin] must happen on the year 1284 on the 26th, where [The time was limited, to let the 130 children be sacrificed]."
—Year 1284, John and Paul diary 26th of June. 130 children born in Hamelin were seduced by a piper, dressed in all kinds of colours, the children were all lost at the place of execution near the hills.—
From the onset, the period for Black Death would be 2 to 5 days. Unless all the children showed the same symptoms and died at the same time, it would not meet the inscription of the [Piper of Hamelin].
"......? Since [Black Percher] is the false legend of Hamelin, then if we beat her down won't it be......?"
"I have also considered that point. But then it would repeat the first winning condition."
There were 2 winning conditions. Beat down the Hamelin's Demon Lord, and that sentence. Although that identified sentence was as easy as throwing a large smoke bomb, it was still too dangerous.
"Even though I have read about the book related to Black Death.......but nothing seemed to have prompted any pathogenic aspects."
Izayoi tossed the book at the wall. His face seemed to carry a near solving yet haven't solved it expression, which seemed to upset him.
"I've investigated some meaning behind the sentence [Shatter the false legend, making the true legend known]. I can speculate that both have the same shape, and it is an item that can be [Shattered] and [Made]. Then, the only possible item is, the display of the Hamelin inscription of the piper [Stained Glass]."
Kasukabe stared at Izayoi with widened eyes.
"Stained glass......So the method they used to sneak into the festival was....."
"That's right, the game this time, as non-participants are also not the host, they could still use some other place to enter into the festival."
— [People who have Host Master's rights, must identify themselves before becoming participants.]
— [Participants are not allowed to use Host Master's rights].
— [People other than participants are not allowed to invade into the festival area.]
With all these incompatible and contradicting rules, using an individual quota to participate was—
"—[Art crafts exhibits]. I think the Grimoire 《Piper of Hamelin》's real face is likely the combination of the complex glass objects. And these guys used the grimoire to invade into the festival."
Jack was one example. As a gift, he also participated in the festival as a individual.
After informing Sandra about it, they then knew that besides Izayoi and company, there were 100 other pieces of stained glass that were sent from a [No Name] for a community participant.
Seeing Izayoi throwing out speculations one by one, Kasukabe looked at him both admirably and surprisingly.
"Izayoi........What exactly is inside your head?"
"Hmm? Want to see?"
"Yes, want to see."
"How could I let you see!"
Wahahahaha! Izayoi laughed loudly.
"........Well that's all for now. Yeah, to be honest I really don't know what to do. I am guessing that we should shatter the displayed fake stained glass, establishing the genuine.......but the criterion is still not clear, that should we break other stained glass beside the one that establishes Pest. After all, there are 100 or more of them. Finally we can only be fatalistic, and think of ways to beat down the Demon Lord in tomorrow's game."
Gazing at the sky, Izayoi let out a bitter smile. The time between now and the start of the game was probably less than 20 hours.
It was almost soon before Sandra's policy of all communities to stay united till the deadline takes place.
"『True art exists in the universe in your heart』 Eh..........Aiyah Aiyah, this sentence is indeed quite meaningful. Imagine if the inscription of Hamelin has a similar side. Comparing all kinds of textual and speculation that can stimulate one's imagination, creating a story similar to Brother Grimm eh........But what we need now is the real one, Shiroyasha."
Recalling the conversation before couldn't help but make Izayoi laugh.
Looking at Izayoi who was somewhat abandoning himself to despair, Kasukabe smiled gently.
"......Eh, Kasukabe. What kind of smile am I giving when cornered?"
"Sorry, I am just thinking that it was rare for you to have fallen out. You were always confident and arrogant yet self-centered, causing trouble to everyone, so to be honest it's quite refreshing to see you like this."
"Since you could see so much truth in one breath, you must have huge courage........heh, And to think that I was worried that you might feel lonely in this room, what an idiot am I?"
Eh? Kasukabe stared at Izayoi.
"I heard that with all kinds of diseases, not only is there physical discomfort but even the heart will be affected. I thought that you might be lonely after getting struck by that disease, so I came to see how you were, to think I would be the topic of such hurtful words."
Picking up the book he had thrown, Izayoi sat down hard. Feeling somewhat sorry, Kasukabe scratched her head.
"......I am so sorry, I didn't know that you were kinder than what I thought."
"Un, you can replace my kindness by crying hard!"
"I take back my words."
Wahaha! Izayoi laughed as a response, making Kasukabe feel somewhat frustrated.
"No matter what, the winner will be decided tomorrow. You look like you are unable to participate right? So I feel that you should at least know what is happening......since in the worst case I will take down the Demon Lord's head myself."
"Got it. Oh yeah, how is Shiroyasha?"
"She is still sealed on the balcony, with no contact. In the end we still could not make sense of her war participation conditions."
"Really........but, how did the people manage to seal her? Is there anything written on the Hamelin's inscription that could seal Shiroyasha?"
"How is that possible. To say it first, Shiroyasha is affiliated with the Buddhist side. And Shiroyasha doesn't meet the strict definition of a female demon. I heard that she sealed the original strength of the White night Star-spirit class, then converting to Buddhism to lower her own spirit power."
"......Original strength?"
Kasukabe coughed while tilting her head.
"Yeah, It was said that Shiroyasha has the sun authority in the Little Garden. Including the properties of the sun itself, while also carrying the responsibilities of the moving of the sun—"
—Eh? Talking to her, it seemed to evoke some memories of Izayoi about the past.
(.........Moving of the sun..........?)
Where have I seen that sentence before? Izayoi crooked his head while thinking.
And it was not just the memories, but it was also regarding this matter. Izayoi reflexively picked up the book and started speed reading, reviewing all the relevant knowledge about Black Death.
—So called [Black Death], rampant after the mini ice age at the 14th century, one of human history's most serious plague. Causing humans to have sepsis, before dying after black spots appeared.
In Brother Grimm's story 《Piper of Hamelin》, there was a clown who wore a spotted costume.
And the clown could manipulate the main source of infection that cause the pandemic of Black Death, rat.
According to the two above points, there were speculations that [The one hundred and thirty children died due to Black Death].
(...............................14th century and mini ice age?)
Izayoi did not notice the incubation period nor the symptoms, but the era during the Black Death.
The time written on the inscription of Hamelin was the year 1284.
In other words, the heyday of Black Death and the inscription of Hamelin— The time backgrounds did not match.
(Unless.....Pest was a different period demon not related to the inscription of Hamelin ......?)
Why didn't he notice it before? From the start Pest had already stated that she was not Hamelin's Demon Lord. In other words she had the attributes of the Black Death but was not related to Hamelin in any way.
Excitedly flipping his book, Izayoi started recording everything in his brain.
"The cause of Black Death and the mini ice age........It was because [The sun entered an ice age period], resulting in the world being cooler! Really! So this is the truth behind the seal on Shiroyasha!"
The cheekily smiling Izayoi shouted out.
The reason why Shiroyasha was sealed, was because the solar activity was at a minimum — Which was because this game rule was to trick people into repeating the chronicle when the sun was weakened.
Izayoi tightly held the book about Black Death, having understood the meaning of [Shatter the false legend].
"So, those guys aren't the Hamelin of year 1284......Ah damn it! I have been fooled! [Black Percher]! Although they are the Brother Grimm story of 『Piper of Hamelin』, they are not the real 『Piper of Hamelin』.........!"
Pong! Izayoi forcefully pushed open the door and rushed out.
Before leaving, he turned over and said to Kasukabe:
"Good job Kasukabe! Thanks to you, I solved it! Leave the rest to me and rest peacefully."
"Is that so? Then good luck."
The non-stop coughing of Kasukabe sent Izayoi off. Although she did not understand what was happening, but Izayoi probably has done it. She left the remaining situation to the others and got back into the bed.
The nestled Calico cat asked Kasukabe after hearing everything:
"That kid .......Do you think he is alright, Ojou?"
"Definitely no problem. Although he does look like that, he still cares for his comrades. Oh yeah, are you okay staying with me? Who knows if I might infect you."
"Don't have to worry about me, Ojou. For the 14 years of my life, this old head has always been with Ojou, Even if I pass away on Ojou's arms, it would not be such a bad ending."
Meowing, Calico cat went onto Kasukabe's arms. Being tortured by the heat from the fever, Kasukabe stretched out her arms and hugged Calico cat, before her vision started to become blurry.
In her final moments of consciousness, Kasukabe still remembered a friend that was currently missing.
(Asuka........I hope that you are safe.)
In order to protect her, Asuka was held captive by the enemy.
Feeling condemned by her inner guilt, Kasukabe firmly held the necklace inherited from her father.
After praying for the safety of Asuka, Kasukabe fell into a deep slumber.
Part 6
—24 hours later.
All the communities who still had vitality gathered near the operation headquarters of the Birth of the Fire Dragon festival.
Preparing for the final battle against [Black Percher].
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