It would be fitting to say that the Usher family's mansion was truly a fortress.
If Tochka was a natural fortress created by the natural environment, the Usher family mansion was an artificial fortress filled with all kinds of strange traps.
A book or picture frame that falls apart every now and then, a curtain that flutters even when there is no wind, the gears of a grandfather clock that move slowly, a statue that suddenly bursts into laughter, a dried-out flower plant trapped in a flower pot, stuffed animals, a brick wall that is piled up haphazardly. , excessively grand chandeliers, etc… … Everything was a trap filled with malice towards the intruder.
However, Bianca, who was born as the owner of this mansion and has lived there ever since, was naturally able to destroy all of these and enter inside.
"When the bookshelf collapses and the books fall out, it's okay to walk through the hallway. Oh, it's limited to bizarre novels. Not when other genres of books run out. The only titles are 'The Masque of the Red Death', 'The Black Cat', 'The Cask of Amontillado', 'The Jumping Frog, or Eight Orangutans in Chains', 'The Heart of Betrayal', and 'The Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym'. Only when the books fall on the floor."
"If the curtain flutters even slightly, you must lie down low to the floor. "It doesn't matter whether the wind blows or not."
"When the grandfather clock strikes the hour, the secret door between the hallways opens. Of course, just because it's open doesn't mean you can go in right away. You must open the door after exactly 5 minutes. Otherwise, you might end up going through a door that leads to a completely different place."
"When that statue smiles, you have to be careful of everything around you. It doesn't trigger any special traps, but... … "That guy likes it when it looks like the intruder is about to die miserably."
"If you see a dry, dead plant in a flower pot, you should never pass by it. "We don't grow any plants at home."
"You can just pass by the stuffed animals. However, some dogs have moving eyeballs, and when they see such things, they immediately cover their ears and quickly run forward."
"If you see a wall made of red bricks, be careful not to touch it. If you have no choice but to touch it, run away from the spot immediately. Even if someone calls your name behind you, never turn around."
"Under no circumstances should you pass under a chandelier. But if you have to pass by, never look at the chandelier. Instead, what you should never take your eyes off of is the shadow of the chandelier on the floor."
Bianca went through numerous traps and mazes and delved deep into the mansion.
Tudor, who was following behind him, spoke softly.
"… … "I now understand why your personality is so twisted."
"What are you doing, you bastard?"
Bianca gave Tudor a pat on the head and then turned her head.
"joy! what. "It's a bit far from the typical corner of the house."
She added in a very small whisper at the end.
"… … "Thank you for following me all the way here."
"what?"
"I didn't say anything. let's go."
Bianca pulled Tudor.
Eventually, Bianca and Tudor were able to stand in front of the head of the family, Roderick Usher's bedroom.
Here too, the red energy of death was rampant.
A level of venom that no human can bear spreads along with the watery fog that rushes into the interior of the mansion.
It was circling and jumping around the empty corridor like a red-faced clown or a dancing demon.
Bianca and Tudor felt a surge of nausea even though they drank the saint's tears produced by Dolores.
yet. The bedroom door opened.
Gigi Gigi Geek-
The hinges, rusted by the water mist, let out a dying groan.
The scenery seen inside the slowly opening door made Bianca and Tudor's eyes widen.
"father!"
Bianca shouted without even realizing it.
The person sitting in a chair with an awkward posture is clearly Roderick, Bianca's father and the current head of the Usher family.
At first glance, he had a pale complexion and a desiccated mummy-like appearance that made you think he was a corpse, but he was clearly alive with his eyes open and blue.
"… … ."
But he didn't seem to be in a state where he could speak.
The black tongue moved inside the dry, shriveled lips a few times, but all that came out of the burned throat was the sound of a broken clockwork turning.
"… … father! "How could it be in such a cruel way?"
Bianca stroked Roderick's cheeks with an expression of disbelief.
But Roderick's eyes as he looked at her showed nothing.
There are only blank, cloudy whites, and the eyes with the blue flesh in the middle are fixed towards the front.
Tudor watched Roderick's condition and bit his lip.
"… … "It's the same as my father's condition."
Just as Cervantes, the Spear King, suffered the Red Death and died in a state of ruin, Roderick was also in the same state.
However, while Cervantes mustered up his last strength and committed suicide, Roderick remained stubborn until the very end.
"The Red Death is spreading through the mist inside the mansion. It looks like the devil has poisoned the swamp. "Because the mansion was built on a swampy area, the entire site was slowly engulfed by poison."
After assessing the situation, Tudor took out firecrackers from his arms.
Red firecrackers and black firecrackers.
'Check whether Rodrick, the head of the House of Usher, is alive or dead, and if he is alive and can escape together, set off red fireworks. If he is already dead or unable to move even if he is alive, set off black fireworks.'
Bikir said this before infiltrating the Usher family's mansion.
Tudor dropped his hands and thought about it before biting his lip.
"You're alive. Roderick is alive."
Eventually, what Tudor chose was a red firecracker.
Tudor was about to take it to the window.
at that time.
… Wow!
There was a hand snatching Tudor's wrist.
It was Bianca.
"… … Are you crazy?"
She snatched the red firecracker from Tudor's hand and threw it outside the window into the swamp.
"Do you want to kill all the other kids too?"
"no! "Rodrik is alive!"
"Don't you remember what Bikir said? My father… … "My father can't move anymore."
Bianca lowered her head and trembled.
At this moment, she is the one who wants to light the red firework more than anyone else.
Tudor, too, had no choice but to bow his head as he looked at Bianca like that.
Right then.
"Hohohoho- aren't you giving up too quickly?"
There was a voice that caught Bianca and Tudor's attention.
When I turned my head, I saw a woman with the same pale complexion as a corpse standing with a vague attitude.
Usher for Madeline. Rodrik's sister and current head of the family.
In fact, it was a dark secret that controlled the entire power of the House of Usher.
"As expected, she is that father's daughter. "Even though your blood relatives are still alive, you are hastily treating them as dead."
Madeline glared at Bianca with eyes like those of a corpse flashing.
Then he continued speaking in a voice full of mockery.
"Are you going to bury your father alive too? "Just like your father did to me."
Madeline suffered from severe fever when she was young.
And Roderick buried her under the ground, with both her heartbeat and complexion changed to that of a corpse.
But somehow Madeline was alive.
After being buried alive, she broke the coffin, dug out the dirt, and dug out the center of the tomb.
Afterwards, Roderick suffered for the rest of his life from the guilt of almost burying his sickly sister alive.
He listened to everything his sister asked and was willing to endure anything.
Wow-
Bianca, who knew that fact, gritted her teeth.
"You were a devil from the beginning, right? He took over the body of his aunt, Madeleine, who died of fever, and has been deceiving his father all this time. yes?"
"Hohoho- well. Since when was I really a devil? When you're buried alive? Or from when you were born? "No, am I the devil in the first place?"
Madeline gradually narrowed the distance between herself and Bianca.
at that time. A line was drawn between Bianca and Madeline.
"Don't cross the line."
Tudor. He was blocking Madeline with an unwavering gaze.
Madeline's eyes narrowed when she saw Gungnir held in her one arm and the leather decorations hanging under Gungnir's spear blade.
"Are you going to peel off the Passamonte's skin and use it as a window decoration? Playing with the corpse of an uncle who lost the battle for succession to the throne. "My tastes are a bit bizarre to say I'm a knight of the Don Quixote family who pursues justice and uprightness, don't you think?"
Despite Madeline's taunts, Tudor did not forget his original purpose.
chin-
Tudor, holding Bianca's hand, turned around and started running.
"Run Bianca! We have to get out!"
However, Tudor and Bianca's attempts were in vain.
When Madeline stretched out her hand, the surroundings seemed to freeze, and then a thick wall of ice rose up and covered the window.
"Ugh!"
Tudor stopped for a moment.
And Madeline's alluring voice softly rang into Tudor's ears.
"It looks like you want to get out of the mansion. But that is impossible without my permission."
"… … ."
"Hohoho- Could you please stop glaring at me so scary?"
Madeline smiled gracefully, covering her mouth with her hand.
And then he continued speaking as if he was being generous.
"Well, actually, it's not that difficult to get them to leave the mansion. "If only I could pass my test."
"Throw away the thought of deceiving me with your tongue."
Tudor turned his back to the ice wall and held his spear tightly.
However, the words that came out of Madeline's mouth were unexpected.
"Really. "If you can pass one very simple test, I will get you out of here."
"… … ?"
As Tudor frowned, Madeline continued speaking immediately.
"You just have to prove that you are brave enough to pass my test. "I heard that the knights of the Don Quixote family are very brave. I guess they're not scary, right?"
It was a cheap provocation made blatantly, but Tudor had no choice.
Finally, Madeline spoke.
"'Where is the one who can kill me?' If you can say these words out loud three times, I will recognize your courage. "I will also open the door to the mansion."
It was an easy deal. Currently, there are no ambushers here except for Madeline.
Tudor and Bianca looked at each other with stern expressions.
The two people's gazes quickly crossed in the air.
And soon, after confirming once again that there was no danger around, Tudor opened his mouth.
"Where is the person who can kill me? Where is the person who can kill me? "Where is the person who can kill me?"
Tudor's words were filled with firm belief.
Except for the devil in front of you, there is no one who would try to harm you.
It was a natural fact.
… … however.
After hearing Tudor's voice, Madeline's eyes soften as much as possible.
The moment Tudor sheds a drop of cold sweat in front of that ominous line.
"… … "It is here."
A voice that seemed to be possessed by something came from right behind Tudor, right in his ear