Episode 388: Mystery Tour

"Wait, wait a minute! Hey, hey, wait! Why are you saying something so cold, huh?! I'm mad, I'm mad!"

"Mad... like that..."

Mai-i runs after us, hurrying down the path.

Thanks to her《Agility V》, she moves with the nimbleness of a fairy, darting this way and that.

"Wait a moment. Please stop trying to distract me like that."

"I'm not stopping! I'm really here out of kindness, after all!"

"Then please stay out of our way."

"Sure, I can do that, but—then you won't be able to go further past this room, you know?"

"What?"

I tilt my head and glance around.

The room we're in is likely an octagonal space meant to temporarily hold guests who've just entered the attraction.

There, hung on the walls, are paintings of various fairy tale characters—Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and many others. At the center of them all, placed with deliberate ambiguity, is a single mirror.

Of course, since we're not waiting in line, we attempt to pass by it—yet...

"Wait... something's off here... 'Nameless' person, this is strange."

As Tsumori gently taps on the door and tries turning the doorknob,

"This door's a fake, isn't it?"

"Hmm..."

The door really does look like it's just glued directly onto the wall.

"What should we do? I can blow it up if you want."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! That's exactly why I'm here—to stop you from doing something like that!"

"Huh?"

Satori seems unimpressed by the playful tone of the dancing girl, her pupils narrowing with a type of irritation that speaks volumes.

She must have noticed, for Mayi lowered her voice slightly,

"Frankly, this building's seismic resistance is seriously flawed. If we're too reckless, the whole structure might collapse."

"That doesn't mean I can just trust you...!"

I gently stopped Satori, who was unusually firm in her tone,

"Alright. I understand."

I accept her offer.

"But there's a condition. If you so much as feel like you're taking a detour, I'll kill you immediately. And I'll cut all ties with you. Understood?"

Yeah, got it!

Her response was a radiant smile—no sinister intent could be sensed at all.

Hmm. This is tricky.

Then let's get started right away!

And there, Ayami-san, with a bright and cheerful voice that seemed to blow away all her usual melancholy, recited the script loudly and clearly.

"Then! Everyone, please look at this room! As you've likely noticed, here is the portrait of a truly noble princess who defeated the villainous Disneyan Villain, whose heart was filled with evil..."

At that moment.

The entire room plunged into darkness, followed by a jarring, piercing sound—donguragashān gorogorōn.

And then, a man's voice rang out.

Wait, wait! If you'd just listen quietly, I wouldn't be making up nonsense like this!

It was probably a recording, but we all stood on edge, weapons drawn and firearms ready. Looking at the room, a human face rendered in CG animation was projected onto the large mirror displayed there.

In response to your voice, Mayumi-san,

"Ugh, come on. Don't scare me with that magic mirror!"

Probably, the only people in the world who've reacted this seriously to this attraction are us.

"Hmph! Justice and evil alike change with the times. You're just forcing your views on me! If the times are on my side, then even the paintings in this castle... That'll do!"

Once again, the room went dark. Then came a booming, rumbling thunderclap—pshaaan, goro goro goro...

At the same time, the paintings of the princesses were transforming into terrifying, ominous villain portraits.

"Y-yeek! What is this!?"

"Fu fu fu... Just wait... Watch closely now..."

"Wha—what?!"

At that moment, the wall opposite to the door we thought we should pass through suddenly swung open with a loud creak.

"Now! Let me show you just how fragile your so-called justice truly is... Come on! You who claim to possess the right heart! If you truly have the courage, then go forward...!"

I see. That's how it works.

"So, we really have to do this properly to move forward?"

"That's right!"

"Oh, okay."

I sighed.

By the way, I doubt it, but don't tell me you're trying to stall for time by dragging this farce along—how foolish can you get?

That's not possible.

It was Nanami who denied it.

I once heard from a friend of a D-otaku that the mystery tour has two routes due to guest access restrictions, but both take about fifteen minutes. If you walk briskly, it'll be even shorter.

"...how much is it?"

That's fine, then.

"Better prepare yourself for a fight, just in case."

"?"

"Think about it. I think it was when it went dark a moment ago... wasn't that girl, Kono Asuka? She's gone."

"Wait..."

Turning around, I confirmed it—someone from our group was missing.

I frowned, my expression turning grim.

So it really was a trap after all.