第６３９堀：人は学び強くなる (Part2)
"It couldn't be helped. Why did that room just keep repeating itself like that?"
"And even when we opened the front door, we couldn't get outside..."
"There was that woman crawling on all fours, making those strange noises as she attacked us."
Today's training really took a toll on my heart. It’s not good for my blood pressure. If it had been the zombie extermination from the day before, I could have just gotten hyped up and wiped them out with magic. But this time, magic was sealed off. Kirika-san had told us with a smile to "find a way to put the target's lingering regrets to rest so she can pass on," and I’d naively thought it would be an easy session. I was dead wrong.
At first, we tried to finish it quickly by splitting up to search the small house, but that ghost appeared out of nowhere, and we were knocked unconscious and sent back to the entrance. Apparently, if you look at that ghost individually, you’re forced into a blackout. We had to stay in a group of three and keep our eyes fixed on her, which was incredibly grueling. I mean, think about it—a woman with limbs bent at impossible, unnatural angles is rushing toward you. Being told to stare right at that?
The only way to escape was to collect the scattered pieces of her body hidden throughout the house. I managed to piece that together from the whispers I heard right before I blacked out—"Where... is my body?"—and the diary entries mentioning where she’d hidden her remains. Collecting the final piece—her head—was... well, it went beyond just being scary.
"Ah, that’s Kayo-san."
"It’s Kayo-san, indeed."
"...Auntie Kayo."
It seems the three of them know her.
"If it’s her, then I suppose that can't be helped."
"Indeed. It takes time to get used to that one."
"...Hiiro was fine with it, actually."
"Well, at first glance, it’s just a crime scene. And since it’s designed to exploit human primal fear, it’s only natural for it to be tough the first time. But all three of you overcame it and have grown stronger."
I suppose after an experience like that, the things we saw in the basement of the Onock Church seem mild by comparison. Even if those were to turn into zombies and start moving, I’d have my magic, so the level of terror would be much lower.
"Come to mention it, weren't the Princesses supposed to be doing the same training? They went ahead, didn't they?"
"Yes, they did. We met Kayo-sama as well."
"Now that you mention it, I didn't black out. Do you know why, Kirika-dono?"
"Kayo-san amplifies and utilizes the target's own fear. Princess Carrie and Princess Stasia were focused on the original objective—finding a way to put her regrets to rest—so they were busy pushing past their fear to search. They were surprised, perhaps, but they weren't paralyzed by terror."
"Ah, now that you mention it. That might be true."
"If anything, I was just so furious at the man who tore her apart and killed her that I didn't have room to be scared. How could he treat a woman like that? And not content with just his wife, he laid hands on their children, too. What absolute scum."
That’s right. Once we learned the truth and gathered most of her limbs, we stopped blacking out. It’s all about having a strong heart, I guess.
"Um... I appreciate the indignation, but that was just a setting..."
" " "Huh?" " "
Suddenly, a voice came from the bathroom entrance. We turned to see Kayo-san standing there with her child.
" " "Kyaaaaaaah!?" " "
We couldn't help but scream. After all, she was still covered in blood. I thought the training was restricted to the dungeon... were we being attacked for real!?
"Calm yourselves. Kagura, Mikos, Solo. Kayo-sama and her daughter have no killing intent."
"Carrie is right. Being terrified at every little thing is unbecoming of a soldier. Now, Kayo-san, why are you here?"
"Oh, I apologize. My work was finished, and Kirika-san told me to go ahead and take a bath, so I came over. I’m sorry for scaring you."
"We’re so sorry."
Kayo-san and her daughter bowed their heads.
"Oh, no, we’re the ones who should apologize for being so jumpy."
"Not at all. Even if it is my job, I’m sorry for frightening you..."
We bowed to each other. The terrifying, ghostly expression from before was gone. Well, she was still covered in dried, crusty blood, so anyone who didn't know the situation would definitely scream.
"My apologies, I should have mentioned it. Please, Kayo-san, Nozomi-chan, go ahead."
Prompted by Kirika-san, they sat at the shower station and began to wash their bodies...
"Well, excuse us. Come along, Nozomi."
"Okay!"
With that, the mother and daughter detached their heads, held them out in front of them, and began to wash their hair.
"Ah, I should have done that too."
Kirika-san followed suit, detaching her head to wash her hair meticulously. I suppose that would be the perfect way to ensure your hair is perfectly clean. However...
"...I feel like something is fundamentally wrong here."
"...I agree."
"You'll get used to it."
"That’s right. It’s all about habit."
Dressa and Vilia replied to Mikos and Solo’s words, but I couldn't help but wonder if this was really something we *should* be getting used to.
By the way, it seems Kayo-san and the others are scheduled to train against Amanda and Eoid tomorrow. I suspect those two will definitely be blacking out.
***
**Kagura:** What kind of world has training where you get chased by zombies and fight them just to build up a tolerance to corpses?
**Snowman:** Capcom's Resident Evil. Helicopters crash, and fans of the series worldwide are always enjoying that kind of training.
**Kagura:** ...
Well, I imagine most of you readers are fans of that series, aren't you? You’ve probably shot a zombie or two in your time. It’s not like zombie games are rare these days. Most people would hate to experience it for real, but I’m sure many have run mental simulations of it. And that’s still better than being caught off guard by a situation you never even considered.
Games can be a source of strength, too.