Author: Yume Taida
–Enter again? Have you gone crazy?
Midori says worriedly.
–We can help other people this way, honestly, whatever is behind Nobumi Takemi and Sakura-senpai's death, I'm sure it won't be the last victim.
–...
Midori is left speechless after Satoru is honest.
–It all depends on you Maruki… will you go?
Satoru asks.
–Yes, I also want to discover the mystery behind everything.
–Okay, then let's go.
Satoru says determinedly.
–Are you coming Midori?
Satoru asks.
-... Ok, I will go.
–Great, go ahead of me, I want to get something first.
Satoru says and leaves the place.
With the sunset on display on the terrace, it was possible to see a beautiful scene, and what seemed like the beginning of an adventure was beginning!
Arriving near the dormitory Maruki and Midori meet Satoru, they go up the stairs and go to Maruki's room.
–Hey Midori, I've always been curious about this, but why are our seniors never there at this time? The dorm is always empty.
-That? Shiori-senpai once told me that she usually stays in the student council room late, and Haruto-senpai is calorie sick, he's always running around and training.
–Ah, that explains a lot…
-Like this?
–Ehh nothing, anyway, let's get back to focus, hey Maruki, this is for you, *throws something to him*, this is some tranquilizers and pain medicine, we don't know what we're going to face, and also take this.
Satoru shows a wooden baseball bat.
–Well, at least we're not unarmed.
Maruki takes the bat in his hand.
–Midori, you have a fundamental job, *ties a rope around your waist* take it.
–Why do I need to hold a rope?
–What stupid question was that? It's obvious that it's to hold us back, we won't depend on that weird boy who looks like he came out of a boy band.
–Satoru… are you sure this will work?
–Absolutely, just hold the rope and everything will be fine, come on Maruki.
Maruki, puts the CD backwards and they enter the world of TV.
Midori, who is holding the rope, slowly pulls it to see if everything was ok...
Inside the TV…
Maruki and Satoru fall in the exact same place they stopped, surrounded by TVs on all sides in addition to the seemingly endless staircases.
–Tsc, you, again?
The white-haired young man asks irritably.
–Ah, it's the weird one again.
Satoru retorts.
–The only weirdos here are you! Ahhhh, my head can't take this anymore, there's someone just throwing people here, and now there's you to deal with too.
–Did you say someone throwing people into the TV?
–Yes, wait... both times it happened you were present... ARE YOU AREN'T YOU???
The young man accuses them.
-What? No, it's not us.
Satoru says angry.
-Oh, really? Funny... because I don't see anyone forcing you to come in here...
–Hey you weird Kpoper, I'll say it again, we have nothing to do with this.
-So prove me.
–Now you…
–To be more precise, we came to investigate the death of a person.
Maruki interrupts their childish fight.
–I just want peace in my world, why is someone doing this?
The young man puts his hands on his head in despair.
–If you are not guilty, please help me find the person who is doing this, or if not…
-If not?
Satoru asks curiously.
–You don't leave here.
–Hahaha, what a shame Kpopper project, this time I have a great way out, look… *the rope is broken* what? As? Shit!!!
Satoru says irritated.
–Well, it seems like there's no way out, right?
The young man says in a mocking tone.
–I agree to help.
Maruki says.
–Yay, now we will be partners then.
The young man says in a mocking tone.
–Apart from the fact that we were THREATENED TO DO THIS, EVERYTHING IS FINE.
Satoru says angry.
–The last victim was a certain Mitsuru Sakura, she was here until the rain started in her world.
-Like this?
Maruki asks.
–In short, sometimes when the rain starts in your world, this world becomes more violent, and several dark Sourmanys appear outside the worlds and attack here, including the last time, some people came, right at the time it started to rain, but unbelievably the dark Sourmanys suddenly disappeared, or perhaps they were defeated.
–Wait what do you mean Sourmany? What is that? Oh it doesn't matter, take us to where Sakura-senpai was, by the way, what's her name?
–Haru.
The young man presents himself, with white hair, fair skin and red eyes, wearing a black outfit, with a white dress shirt under the black blouse, and holding a black spear made of steel, this is the mysterious Haru.
–Why did I expect something like that? Oh it doesn't matter, my name is Kentaro Satoru and this is Rintarou Maruki.
–Nice to meet you, okay, follow me.
Haru starts walking.
–Where are you going?
–You didn't want me to take you to Sakura? Come.
Satoru and Maruki begin to follow the young man, he takes them to one of the several stairs spread throughout this exotic place, they begin to climb stairs, to a point where the ground was not visible because they were so high up, Maruki appeared to be calm, now Satoru looked really fatigued.
–My god *panting* isn't it over?
–You should stop complaining, we're not even close.
–Ahhhhhhh
Satoru falls into deep despair...
After a lot of walking, they finally arrive at a white door, what could that be?
–Wait… I've seen this scenario before, are you sure this is the right place?
–Yes, absolutely, my sense of smell never fails.
–Are you by any chance some kind of dog? Ah nevermind
Satoru grumbles and opens the door, when he opens it, it's a completely overturned room... with red walls and stuffed animals all overturned, as well as a mirror in the left corner, which was the size of the door, what the hell is this strange place?
-What is that?
Satoru says shocked.
–That's a dumb room.
Haru responds.
–I see, I meant why are we in a room?
–This is where I smelled Sakura.
–But this room is small... she's clearly not here.
Satoru is bothered by something.
-What is that? Wait...that's...
Satoru is speechless when he sees something that bothers him.
–A pearl necklace?
Maruki asks.
–She once told me that she had a white pearl necklace that was given to her as a gift by her late grandfather, and that for her, it was her greatest treasure, tsc, what the fuck, *takes the necklace*.
When she takes the necklace, a portal opens where she had the mirror.
-What is that?
Satoru asks, directing his gaze at Haru.
–I don't know, don't ask me.
–Do you really live here? How did I not know this place?
Satoru asks with a doubtful face.
–Every time a person enters here a new staircase is added, so it's not that simple.
–Good if you say so.
Satoru says afraid of Haru's response.
–But really, I have no doubt, the smell comes from there.
Haru points to the mirror.
–Good, then let's go in.
Satoru enters the mirror without wanting to know about the dangers that could enter there, Maruki and Haru follow soon after.
–This place… is the shopping center.
Satoru recognizes the place as the commercial center of Kyoto, but it was much darker, with several crows circling the streetlights and a reddish sky.
–Damn, I feel the presence of a shadow, this is bad.
-What are you talking about?
Satoru asks Haru.
–In short, problems, without a Sourmany we will be made into toys.
Haru says worriedly.
–I still don't understand what you're talking about.
Satoru says confused by Haru's speech.
°°°That Osiris, he talked about it, but what was it?
Maruki is extremely thoughtful.
–"Again I saw the Mitsuru's eldest daughter talking to that boy, does she know her family's situation?"
–"You slut, are you talking to that kid again?"
–"Sakura, didn't we warn you not to go near him? Do you know how much his father screwed us in business? We're the joke of the neighborhood because of you!"
Voices echo in the environment.
–Tsc, damn you.
Satoru says completely irritated.
–What is this Haru?
Satoru asks.
–Well, this world is the result of Sakura's head, so these voices are what she heard or thought she heard, I can't say exactly.
Haru responds.
–What horrible things…
Maruki says surprised by the situation.
–That… is her parents' store.
Satoru says in surprise.
–Her parents' store?
Maruki asks.
–Yes, her parents have a fabric store, they were in a bit of a bad situation, let's go in…
Satoru starts walking there.
–Satoru no!
Before Haru could alert, they were surrounded by a kind of strange creature, black and with three heads, with disfigured faces and eight arms, it had 4 of these creatures... what were they?
–Shit, the dark Sourmanys came, ahhhh, it's the end of us.
Haru says worriedly.
–Can't you do anything Haru?
–No, I can't do anything without a Sourmany.
–But you really are useless.
–Then do something you Satoru.
Haru retorts.
–Hey Maruki, aren't they similar to the creatures we saw the first time? Can't you defeat them again?
–I could, if I hadn't lost my gun…
–Ahhh, it's the end of us.
Satoru laments.
At this moment, the Sourmanys are slowly approaching the trio, until... Maruki notices that a kind of Tarot card has appeared in the palm of his left hand...
–Sourmany! Tsuki!
As he uttered these words and crushed the letter in his hand, something appeared a little above Maruki that would be the personification of his soul, a pale female silhouette, with short hair with bangs covering up to the eyebrow, with large, brown eyes, a long black kimono with red flowery details, this was her appearance.
–Impossible, he has a Sourmany.
Haru speaks with his mouth open.
–Did he manage it without the gun?
Satoru is also impressed.
–Total cut!
Maruki crushes a card that remains in the air, in doing so Tsuki attacks a slashing blow that pulverizes two of the four dark Sourmanys.
–Incredible, this attack power.
Haru was really impressed with the situation.
Due to Satoru's carelessness, one of the remaining dark Sourmanys was about to attack him, until Maruki hits the baseball bat right in the Sourmany's face.
–You're better at this than I thought, Maruki.
–I call it improvisation.
After defeating the dark Sourmany with just a single blow, Maruki prepares to take down the last one, he jumps high and hits him squarely, causing him to be pulverized. It was interesting to notice that when these bizarre creatures died, they seemed to disintegrate.
–Amazing boss, do you have a Sourmany??? I always knew you were amazing and special.
Haru looks on with a cute look.
–As for you Satoru, I didn't expect much from yourself.
–Hey, what difference in treatment is this? Ahh so now he's your boss? You damn thing, you were kicking us out of this world until recently.
-I??? *suspicious whistle and pleading look* I never did that.
–Now you…
-Lets go in.
Maruki again interrupts what would have been a child's fight.
–Okay, let's go in.
Satoru responds seriously.
When they entered what was supposed to be Sakura's family's store, everything was destroyed, and it was completely different from a common fabric store, with metal walls and the environment completely overturned, there was a small table a little beyond the door where the trio were...
They start to enter the place and get close to this small glass table, until…
–What a destroyed place.
Satoru says looking around.
°°°I'm feeling the presence of a shadow here, this is bad.
Haru thinks worriedly.
–"Sakura, you are a disgrace to our family, because of you we are ridiculed by everyone".
–Again the voices…
Satoru says with his head down.
-"I…"
That was the voice of…
–Sakura-senpai…
–"I hate Satoru"
–...
Satoru was speechless for what he just heard.
–"It's his fault that my parents and the neighborhood don't like me, I only talked to him because his father had money, seriously, why else would I talk to that weirdo?"
-Me me…
Satoru looked dead there.
–Are you going to continue lying to yourself in this ridiculous way?
??? He says.
–?
Satoru then looks to his right and approaches, when he realizes he sees, he? Make no mistake, it was Satoru, but he had a difference, in addition to a dark aura, his eyes were red, what was happening? Could this be the shadow that Haru talked about so much?
°°°Shit that's the shadow.
Haru thinks extremely worried.
-What are you?
Satoru asks worriedly.
–That's what you see, I am you, you are me.
Satoru's shadow speaks with a sarcastic smile.
–No, you're not me.
Satoru breaks out in a cold sweat.
–Why aren't you honest with your little friends? Why don't you say that you pay in kind because you're afraid of being alone.
–That's a lie, stop…
-"Help the people?" Hahahaha how pathetic, you just wanted to play the hero to look cool, and Sakura's death was the perfect excuse, you're just any selfish person.
-NO! That… is a lie, who are you?
–Hahahaha I already said, I am you, you are me, why are you so desperate, isn't that a lie? Or actually… you know it's true and you're trying to fool yourself?
-I…
Satoru is extremely pale.
–You can try to fool everyone, but you can't fool someone who knows everything about you, after all, I'm you.
-No no!!! YOU ARE NOT ME!
Satoru screams desperately.
–HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you're right, I'm not you, because I'm going to kill you, hahahaha.
Satoru's shadow begins to transform into something non-human, a strange shape, with four large arms and two small legs, it was absurdly large, it had two faces, and two masks, the blue mask was smiling, and the red mask was streaming a tear.
Satoru fell to the ground at this point, speechless.
–Maruki, let's go!
Haru shouts.
Maruki was standing there…
–Maruki?
Haru is confused by the situation.
At this moment the Tarot card appears floating in the air, Maruki, for the first time, showed a more serious expression...
–Sourmany!
Maruki crushes the letter calling Tsuki to battle, what will be the outcome of this fight, will Maruki be able to step through Satoru's shadow?
END OF CHAPTER 6