Finally, the main dish.
Lady smiled as she watched Lucia wandering through the darkness.
The area was filled with thick darkness. The corridors, barely touched by moonlight, were designed so that even Hunters with keen night vision couldn't easily see through them — not unless they possessed specially enhanced eyes like Saya Kuromizu.
There was no color in Lucia's face. She hadn't started screaming yet, but her bearing radiated intense tension and fear.
Lady could feel her strength gradually returning.
She had no intention of killing her. If she'd wanted to kill, she wouldn't have expended so much power to separate Saya and Lucia.
What she wanted was for Lucia to remain in this space as long as possible, to savor the terror. There weren't many Hunters who reacted so well to having their feet grabbed by the hands that had sprouted from the ground.
Lucia appeared to be using magic to survey her surroundings.
It was futile. In this Treasure Hall, detection-type abilities like sense presence and life detection didn't function properly. But she probably hadn't realized that yet.
Lady had sent Lucia to a location that closely resembled the Zebuldia Magic Academy field she'd been in before. To completely sever her from Saya, she should have teleported her to the prison or another area, but she'd deliberately chosen a familiar place. The distance to where Saya was should be far enough that it wouldn't be a problem.
The fear born from encountering a familiar space in wrong circumstances was very real. Additionally, if she'd made it a completely unknown space, there was a risk that Lucia might shift from a terrified girl into a Hunter who could fight against the unknown.
The 'Cage of Nightmares' wouldn't work on Lucia. The things she feared most weren't the sort of thing that could be easily reproduced.
But she didn't need such tools — Lucia had already lost her composure. She was barely clinging to reason, but a single trigger would shatter her and she'd break into screams.
The remaining question was who should be the one to frighten her— "………………"
Before Lady knew it, a massive crowd of phantoms conjured by the Star God's Diorama had gathered around her.
Within this Treasure Hall, Lady held strong authority for conducting fear research. However, she had no control over the phantoms that manifested within it.
That was determined by the Star God.
These phantoms of the Treasure Hall, reproduced by Mana Material from memories of past fears, were truly diverse.
There were many phantoms modeled on human forms like Lady, as well as monster-types like Monster Diggie. There were incomprehensible beasts like the Demon Shark, incorporeal ghosts, and inorganic entities like killer robots.
Of course, not all of them were effective against modern humans. Especially in this era, where monsters and phantoms existed, a half-hearted monster couldn't frighten ordinary people.
Phantoms that couldn't gather fear in this Treasure Hall had no value. If they couldn't frighten someone long enough, they would lose their power and vanish.
None of them wanted to disappear, so they were all desperate to scare people.
"What's with you lot? You didn't show up when Saya was fighting, but now you appear?"
"…………"
She looked toward them and was met with silent stares from children with identical faces. A blood-soaked woman who crawled on all fours while chasing her prey. A white-robed figure wearing a demon mask and wielding a blade. A bear whose body had been partially mechanized, possessing human-level intelligence. A man-eating Blue. A translucent ghost orchestra dancing through the air. A phantom that mimicked the form of a baby and struck the moment you picked it up. And many other phantoms that made one question whether they were truly symbols of terror — all of them gazing at Lady as if trying to say something.
So they don't show up when you actually need help, but want to snatch the best parts for yourselves?
"I'm the one who cornered her this far! You lot should be content sipping fear from the people I've captured!"
If she had to share, Monster Diggie would be the first choice. He was still working.
"…………Fresh… fear…" the child anomaly murmured. At those words, Lady frowned.
"We are—"
"We've been doing what we're told…"
"Gururu…"
Fear bred familiarity. Lady had instructed them — these timid, largely ineffective phantoms — to frighten the captured people, but the fear they obtained diminished with each passing encounter.
This was especially true because Lady's group didn't inflict physical harm on their captives. If they killed one or two prisoners before the others as an example, they could harvest more concentrated fear, but Lady, who oversaw the entire operation, wasn't the type of anomaly who dealt in slaughter. That was probably one of the reasons the others were building up stress.
The violent, bloodthirsty types — the difficult ones who demanded killing — were currently heading out to deal with Saya. So the ones protesting here were actually the more reasonable ones.
Lady knew she'd gather more fear if she kept Lucia to herself, but it would be better to share in this case.
With Lucia's potential, even that level of fear would likely be enough.
"…Fine. I understand. But you go in order. Push her to the brink of fainting. Don't anger her too much—"
Without question, Lucia was among the top tier of people they'd captured in terms of cowardice. She wouldn't need any of the elaborate approaches they'd used on Hugh.
But push too far, and her mind might break.
She'd said things to Saya designed to shake Lucia's spirit, but she had no intention of doing something so pointless here. A broken mind couldn't produce fear.
§ § § The deeper she investigated the disappearances, the worse her premonition grew.
But she never expected that something like this existed behind it all— This was the worst feeling. But no matter how reluctant she was, she had to keep moving forward.
Lucia Roje advanced carefully through the strange world modeled after Zebuldia Magic Academy.
Her facial muscles were stiff. She could feel her heart pounding hard.
Ever since she was old enough to understand things, Lucia had been afraid of this kind of darkness. It was manageable if someone was with her, but walking alone, her mind drifted to all sorts of unpleasant thoughts.
She'd thought she could overcome it as she aimed higher as a Hunter, but in the end, she couldn't. She'd learned numerous spells and accumulated combat experience, but her weaknesses remained weaknesses.
If what appeared were ordinary monsters, it would be fine. But the things that showed up here were the worst possible match.
This place was probably the Treasure Hall. The girl who'd appeared was almost certainly a phantom. She knew this intellectually, but her emotions couldn't keep up.
Using magic to methodically check her surroundings, she advanced into the darkness where monsters might lurk. The Zebuldia Magic Academy she'd attended for nearly five years looked like a completely different place in the dark. No — it probably was a different place, but the feeling was bizarre.
Her first objective was to rendezvous with Saya.
She remembered the location. If this place had the same structure as the real academy, she should be able to find her without issue.
That woman who looked exactly like Saya, who had suddenly appeared — she was probably quite formidable. If she possessed the same abilities as Saya, fighting her alone would be extremely difficult.
In her normal condition, she would have been helped on the spot. To fall for that kind of ambush — how humiliating.
She'd been subjected to ambushes like that countless times before, but she'd been so shaken that she'd fumbled her spell casting— Save Saya, find the exit, escape.
Save Saya, find the exit, escape.
Save Saya, find the exit, escap— No, this was a strategic retreat!
"!?"
Then, Lucia noticed a strange sound and quickly looked around.
Since arriving here, Lucia had been constantly running detection magic — a spell to sense life signs and movement from a distance. So she should have noticed something approaching immediately, but the detection came suddenly.
The signal appeared from — behind her. Just past the corner she'd walked by moments ago— Impossible. Terror raced down her spine, and she could feel her heart hammering like a drum.
The presence was gradually getting closer. But her feet wouldn't move.
And then — it appeared from around the corner.
"!?"
For a moment she thought her heart had stopped. Her face went rigid, her throat closed up.
What appeared — was a woman on all fours.
A woman with blood streaming from her head. But she was no injured person in need of rescue.
From her mouth, open in a crescent moon shape, a strange laugh escaped.
"Ukekekekekeke…"
"Ah…"
The mysterious woman approached on all fours with an unsettling gait.
Eyes peering through gaps in her long, disheveled black hair burned with madness.
Why was she on all fours? Why wasn't she standing? Why was she coming after her??
Why?? Why?? What is that??
At that moment, Lucia's frozen legs and throat regained their function.
She ran as if spring-launched.
Just running blindly. There wasn't a shred of thought for maintaining composure.
She couldn't even think about where to run, but stopping was out of the question.
She desperately looked behind her while fleeing, praying that nothing was following her. But her prayer went unanswered.
Using her thin limbs, the woman was pursuing at a terrifying speed.
Why?? Why is she chasing me?! They're supposed to disappear!
At least, in the books she'd secretly read as a child, that's how it worked.
They were supposed to disappear! Pacing was crucial for this sort of thing!
I really can't handle this anymore!!
As Lucia's mind devolved into chaos, the strange laughter echoed in her ears.
She ran at full speed. She thought she heard a voice from somewhere say, "You've got good stamina."
She didn't even know where she was running. She had no capacity to look around. The Zebuldia Magic Academy campus was vast to begin with, and the mental map she'd had tucked in the corner of her mind had been blown away at some point. During a normal hunt, this would never happen.
No matter how far she ran, she couldn't shake the pursuit. In fact— "!? There's more of them!? Why?!"
The white-robed pervert in a demon mask had multiplied at some point. For some reason, they were now carrying babies. This was beyond incomprehensible.
She still had stamina to spare, but she'd be worn down at this rate… Right, the sky! She could fly!
Panicking, she opened a window.
And was greeted by cheerful music.
"!??"
What was playing that bright, welcoming melody was — translucent white ghosts.
They were vaguely reminiscent of the sheet ghosts she'd been disguised as during the emperor's escort detail long ago, but ultimately they were generic, half-hearted, children's-pretend ghosts — several of them grinning while holding instruments.
"!"
They weren't scary. These ghosts weren't scary at all. So slamming the window shut was purely a reflex.
The approaching pursuit and the fanfare.
Not knowing what to do, she was about to start running when the ceiling a few meters ahead of her collapsed violently.
"Ah!??"
What fell was — a black mass. Or rather, a bear. A bear with part of its head replaced by metal.
Why was there a bear here? She had no idea anymore. Among the things Lucia had seen, this was a relatively small bear, but it bared its teeth and growled.
"Gururururururulu"
"Ukekekeke… T-t-terrible, it's the Demon Shark!!!"
"!?"
The blood-covered woman who'd been chasing on all fours cried out as if snapping back to sanity.
And then, Lucia saw it — a triangle coming rapidly down the corridor toward her.
If Lucia's eyes served her right, that was — a shark fin.
"Graaaaaahhh! Lucia is our prey!"
"Go, go, Man-eating Blue! Smash that shark bastard!"
For some reason, the bear flipped its body and charged at the shark. The ones who'd been chasing Lucia moments ago all started cheering simultaneously. Between the bear suddenly talking without any preamble and everything else, she felt like she was drunk and trapped in a nightmare.
In the midst of this utterly chaotic situation, something cold suddenly touched the back of Lucia's neck.
"Eek!?"
She let out a reflexive scream and leaped. And this time, she nearly let out a full-blown shriek.
Her face went rigid. At some point, a girl had appeared behind Lucia.
She'd never forget her — the girl in the Zebuldia Magic Academy uniform she'd encountered right after charging into the phantom classroom.
Dark eyes that seemed to resent everything in the world. Wet, bright red lips standing out against pale skin.
The freezing aura emanating from her — was it physical, or was it because Lucia feared the girl before her? Her appearance was more human than the others, yet for some reason, she was indescribably terrifying.
In that moment, Lucia remembered. The phantom before her was — the ghost of the girl from that book she'd secretly read. The very image she'd imagined while reading.
She'd only read that book once. She'd read it in secret, and never opened it again.
But that single reading had burned itself into her memory.
More terrifying than any monster. Was this what they called trauma?
The girl stared at Lucia, then smiled sweetly and whispered: "Big Sister Lucia. I'm Lady. Let's live here together. Forever—"
"!?"
Trying to pull away, her feet tangled and she fell flat on her back.
A dull pain shot through her, but she had no capacity to worry about that.
Cold floor. A heart that felt like it was about to explode with how fast it was beating.
Lady's mouth curved into a crescent moon smile. Muscular arms stretched toward her. The ghosts' performance shifted to something solemn. The incomprehensible phantoms closed in.
Just as she was about to scream, a baton suddenly stabbed into the spot where Lady had been.
"!?"
"Eek!!"
The phantoms who'd been terrifying Lucia let out screams of their own. Red eyes materialized in the darkness.
The one who appeared from the end of the corridor — was Saya. Her clothes were torn in places, and her hair was a mess.
A dragging sound. In her left hand, she was pulling the fake Saya from earlier. She appeared to be completely unconscious, not twitching even as her hair was gripped and she was dragged along.
"Hah… hah… I'll never… never forgive you…"
Eyes blazing with intensity, she glared at Lady.