It was clear that the woman before me was strong.
I had no doubt about this in my mind.
However, it was also true that she was wary of me and the Conductor. Our exploits had been shown for everyone to see, and the weight of that ’knowledge’ seemed to weigh heavily on her mind and ability to see through the lies.
’I can use this to my advantage.’
I wasn’t one to let go of an opportunity.
"He... hehe."
The laughter echoed, and with it, a shift rippled through the room. The figures locked in the ritual froze mid-motion, their trembling eyes falling silent for a breath, with the faceless figures following suit.
"Huh...?"
As if sensing the change, the woman in the mask slowly turned her gaze toward them, her black hair swaying with the turn.
"Hehehe."
I clutched my chest, the second node churning with even more intensity as the laughter tore out of me, harsher and louder than before. The air itself seemed to quiver, the surroundings trembling at the same time
"What’s...? What is happening?" The woman stared at everything in shock, her chest starting to move at faster speeds than before.
That was the moment I saw it.
The slow and gradual fear had settled in her mind.
And that—
"Hehe... he."
Forced another laugh out of me.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
One after another, the members that had been corrupted by her crumpled to the floor, the unnatural force that had been driven into them unraveling and fading away without a trace.
"No, no, no..."
I could hear the panic in the woman’s voice as she directed her gaze back towards me.
"You...!"
I could feel a shift in the atmosphere, my very body tensing at the sight of her. But just as she was about to move—
WHAM!
The piano burst to life once more, an intense tune spilling into the air. It was fast, uneven, each note sharp and grating by design. At once, the woman clutched her head, her body swaying unsteadily where she stood.
"No, what’s... Akh—! It hurts!!"
Her voice screeched, the mask on her face threatening to fall at any second.
It was also in that moment that a certain voice drifted into my ears.
’This is your chance... She’s already exhausted from using her ability on everyone within the room. I manage to find the right weakness in her mind. Act now before it’s too late.’ A smile ripped from the Conductor’s face as I turned my attention towards it.
’You don’t have to tell me this.’
I was already on it.
"Uh—!"
A dark shadow began to crawl underneath the woman’s feet, her steps wobbling as a dark figure materialized right behind her. The Dreamwalker didn’t waste a second and latched onto her back, but before it could do that, she turned around, and her eyes glowed.
"Stop this at—huh? What...?"
Surprise cut through her voice as she faced the Dreamwalker, the tall, lanky anomaly that stood a head taller than her. "Wait, w-what is this?" Her voice grew flustered, evidently itt seemed like she hadn’t expected an anomaly to suddenly appear behind her.
Thankfully, the Dreamwalker seized the opening her surprise had left, latching onto her without hesitation.
"....!?"
The woman let out a startled yelp, and that was all. I watched her eyes flare with light, but nothing followed.
That was also the moment that I realized something.
’Her powers... They only affect humans.’
It also became clear that she wielded some form of brainwashing ability. I racked my brain, and finally, the nature of her Decree snapped into my mind.
’Whisperer.’
It was one of the rarer Decrees, and the Guild directory offered little information on it. From what I could gather, it was the kind that allowed its wielder to manipulate and control the minds of others.
The Decree was rare mainly because it wasn’t held in high regard. In this line of work, the focus was on handling anomalies, not people. Those who possessed it were usually assigned to the bureau. They were usually made into special agents who dealt with taking care of other humans with abilities.
’Still, it’s not like it’s a useless feature. If it can turn everyone into a puppet, I’m sure it can also make them do things more efficiently.’
Whatever the case was, this worked out for me.
With her thinking that I was an anomaly, and with her abilities not working on the Dreamwalker, she was essentially helpless. A regular human.
"...It... shouldn’t be like... this..."
She thrashed against the Dreamwalker’s hold, her eyes snapping toward me. Her bloodshot eyes latched onto me, and I found myself growing tense.
’Oh, no...!’
My heart stilled for a moment, feeling my mind blanking out for a short moment, only to be shaken as a small figure appeared atop the piano, legs swinging, a soft giggle drifting through the air.
"Hihihi~"
"....!?"
The woman’s head snapped toward Mirelle as the giggle rang out. "W-what? Another one...? Just what in the world is happening?" Her node stilled, and the Dreamwalker tightened its hold, dragging her into a brutal chokehold.
"Ukh–—!"
Her eyes widened as strange sounds tore from her mouth, hands clutching the Dreamwalker’s forearms in a desperate bid for freedom. But.... No matter how hard she fought, she could not break free.
I wouldn’t let her be free.
"Ukh! Ukh...!"
She started to choke, her struggles weakening with each passing second as the Dreamwalker held her fast. Her arms and legs flailed wildly, but it was useless. The Dreamwalker’s strength was absolute.
Eventually—
Thud!
With a soft thud, she collapsed face-first onto the floor as the Dreamwalker released her. The room froze, tense silence stretching over everything. I glanced left and right, eyes lingering on the faceless figures who had long ceased moving, then on the so-called sacrifices, my gaze settling on Sarah in particular.
I sighed in relief once I saw that she was doing fine.
Well, fine was a big word. Her face was pale, and her eyes were still trembling.
’At least, she doesn’t look to be dead.’
That was all that mattered as I came to a stop and looked around.
"....."
They were all looking at me.
All eyes...
They were on me.
I shuddered for a brief moment.
’Somehow, it always ends up like this.’
The only thing keeping me grounded was the mask clinging to my face, the bells jingling with each step as I approached the woman in the mask. I didn’t know where she had come from, but instinct told me she was connected to the cult I had been hunting so desperately.
In fact, she most likely had the answers that I wanted.
’If I can just use my third node on her...’
The issue was that the woman was no anomaly. I couldn’t use the skill on her even if I wanted to.
"...A real pity."
The words came out of my mouth unconsciously, the faces of the people changing as some even began to shiver. I felt my lips twitch at the sight before I turned my attention back towards the woman, the slow sound of steps echoing as I neared her.
’If I’m not wrong, she’s a person from the strange cult. She isn’t the first person that I’ve seen from their side, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone with powers.’
I came to a stop right above her, lowering my body to reach for her mask. I was curious to see her real appearance.
As my hand grasped the white mask on her face, I slowly began to pull the mask away from her face. The moment I did, I was shocked to see the color of her hair starting to change, turning from black to silver as her appearance was revealed to me a moment later.
The moment it did, I grew breathless.
Not because she was pretty, but because...
’H-how is this...? That’s...’
I knew her.
Ariel Kirzian.
She... Like Zoey and Myles was another character from one of the games that I had made.