落とし穴９４堀：知らないのか？ 物理は無効だ (Part2)
"Huh? But the drawer Seraria is reaching into isn't even big enough to fit a human head, is it?"
As Eris pointed out, the drawer I had opened was only about ten centimeters deep; there was no way a head could fit inside. And yet, I couldn't describe it as anything other than what I had seen.
"Hmm. It doesn't look like Seraria is lying."
"For now, why don't we try opening it again? It’s possible that only Seraria can see it, or perhaps that woman is doing this to provide us with a hint."
"……That is a possibility."
Since we still had to investigate, I took a deep breath and opened the drawer once more.
"……There is no head inside."
"……I see."
Just as the two of them reacted, the drawer I had steeled myself to open was, naturally, empty. Was it just my imagination? But I had never seen a woman like that before, and...
"Hm? Isn't this a key?"
With that, Ratz pulled out a key that was glimmering dully in the corner of the drawer. Fortunately, it even had a tag attached indicating what it was for.
"It's the library key. Is it telling us to go there? Hmm. But if hints like this keep appearing, does that mean there really is something that only Seraria can see?"
"……So I'm the only one being targeted?"
"I don't know the reason, but if what you saw is true, then I suppose so."
"Isn't it because you're the leader of our team? Maybe it's giving the hints to the leader?"
"That sounds likely. But Seraria, if it's only you, this isn't much of a test of courage for the rest of us!"
"It's only the beginning, so maybe it's just Seraria for now. We might have our turns later."
"I see. I'll look forward to that."
I hate to dampen their excitement, but I had to say it.
"……You two, this isn't exactly good for the heart, you know? The surprise attacks are relentless."
It really wasn't good for my heart. I thought that if something attacked, I would just defeat it, but I never imagined that simply having it appear would be this taxing. Moreover, since no one else could see it, it looked like I was just making a scene by myself.
……They’re really pushing their luck. Next time, I’m going to blow them away and capture them.
As I realized I was being singled out, my fear began to turn into irritation, and I decided to go secure a weapon. For now, I would head to the corner of the staff room to grab a broom or a mop from the cleaning supply closet.
"Seraria, what are you doing?"
"Getting a weapon, for starters. If that thing shows up in front of me again, I'm going to blow it away. Then, I'll interrogate it."
"Ahaha, the opponent is just trying to scare us, so let's be peaceful..."
I rejected Eris's plea for peace. I couldn't feel safe without a weapon, and if I captured the target and interrogated it, clearing this would be much faster. With that decided, I swung the cleaning closet door open with force.
*Thud. Clatter...*
With that sound, something tumbled out of the closet and collapsed. It was the woman I had seen earlier. I instinctively jumped back, and the moment she fell, her head and torso seemed to separate, with the head rolling toward Ratz and Eris behind me.
"Whoa!? T-the head!? The head!?"
"Please, calm down, Ratz. It's just a head..."
Eris’s words trailed off, and I stood there, dumbfounded. The head had begun to float in mid-air.
"Seraria, behind you, behind you!!"
"Behind me?"
At Ratz's warning, I looked back to see the headless torso standing up and advancing toward me.
"Is it some kind of Dullahan?"
"Eris, why are you so calm!?"
Eris seemed composed, but Ratz and I were losing our nerve. First, I dodged the body coming toward me and grabbed a mop from the closet.
"Look, Seraria got the mop. That should be the end of it, right?"
"Oh, I see. Go get 'em, Seraria!!"
"Right. I'll show you!! You've been scaring me enough already!!"
Now that I had a weapon, it was my turn! I swung the mop up...
"Huh?"
I swung it down, but it lacked its usual impact. Right—my powerful magic and skills were sealed, so I couldn't use my full strength. Still, having trained as I had, it should have had enough sharpness to strike the headless torso... but the mop passed right through it without making contact.
"What!? No way!"
Did I misjudge the distance? That’s impossible. Even if it was an improvised weapon, there was no way I could miscalculate the range. *Damn it, I'll just do it again!*
However, no matter how many times I swung, I couldn't land a hit, and the headless torso continued to approach me as if nothing had happened.
"Eek!? Eris, the head!? The head is—!?"
"W-why isn't the book hitting it!? It's passing right through!? Why!?"
Ratz and Eris were also using the spines of textbooks they found on the desks as makeshift weapons to confront the head, but their attacks passed right through as well. In other words, there was no way to defeat it. Even if there was no immediate danger to our lives, I couldn't just stand there while being glared at with such resentment.
……Damn it. There was only one thing to do.
"You two, we have the key, so let's get out of here!!"
"Huh? Oh, right!!"
"Y-yes! There's no need to engage with it!!"
This was the beginning of our battle of wits against the female spirit...
*Enjoy the terror of being unable to do anything. That is the Japo-Quality.*