Just as the group finally managed to step through the Door of the Veil...
The Ministry of Magic, Minister's Office.
A researcher was currently beaming with joy as he reported to Minister Scrimgeour.
"You're telling me... that a new recruit, in less than two weeks, broke through a problem that your team couldn't solve for months?"
Scrimgeour lifted his eyes from the report, his gaze dark and predatory as he looked at the researcher.
"Yes, sir!"
The researcher, completely oblivious to the Minister's mood, continued with an air of triumphant delight. "That newcomer is simply incredible! Not only did he break through the deadlock, but his magical prowess is exceptionally powerful! The original plan was to bring Aurors into the Veil, but he guaranteed everyone's safety himself, so we didn't bring any extra personnel. Honestly, I'm puzzled as to why a talent like this hasn't been heard of before!"
The researcher rambled on, showering the "newcomer" with praise. Finally, he paused, cleared his throat, and asked hopefully:
"So—now that the Department of Mysteries has gained such a powerful asset, about the future budget..."
His words died in his throat. He had finally noticed the murderous intent radiating from Scrimgeour's eyes.
"M-Minister...?"
"You've spent all this time telling me how great this 'newcomer' is," Scrimgeour said, his voice a raspy, dangerous growl. "But why is it that, from beginning to end, I haven't heard a single mention of his name?!!"
BAM!
Scrimgeour slammed his hand onto the desk and stood up, glaring at the stunned researcher. His palm pinned the report down; throughout the entire document, the person was referred to only as "the newcomer." Not a single name appeared.
"The... the newcomer's name?"
The researcher froze. He tried to answer, but the words caught in his throat. Right. That "newcomer"... what was his name again?
A wave of panic surged through him. He frantically began digging through his files, stammering, "I-I brought his resume! The name must be on there! Yes, we just got used to calling him that... the paper is... I know I brought it... Ah! Found it!"
With a look of triumph, the researcher pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his folder. However, the smile on his face vanished the moment he looked at the resume.
The office fell into a deathly silence. It was as if the very air had frozen. After a long while, the unfortunate researcher slowly, painfully lifted his head. His face was ashen, and he barely dared to look at the Minister.
Trembling, he held up the resume. "H-his name isn't on the resume either..."
In the column for [Name], it was completely blank.
But below, in the [Self-Introduction] section, a single line was written in elegant, flowing cursive:
My deepest regards to you, Minister Scrimgeour. ^_^
—Ethan Vincent.
"—ETHAN VINCENT!!!"
BOOM!
Accompanied by a roar of uncontrollable fury, a violent surge of magic exploded! Teacups and glass panes throughout the office shattered instantly.
"Agh!" The researcher ducked, clutching his head in terror. Yet, his eyes sparkled with realization.
A Cognitive Confusion Charm! he thought. To cast such a wide-range, high-level spell and keep it undetected until the very last moment! No wonder he solved the light source problem so easily... Truly incredible!
The thought that he had actually worked alongside "Ethan Vincent" for so long made the researcher feel a strange surge of excitement. Heh... Ethan chose our Department of Mysteries, didn't he? Could any other department pull that off?
The next second, the researcher let out an "Oof!" as the magical storm swept him right out the door, his mouth still twitching with an irrepressible grin.
"Pant... pant... pant!"
Minister Scrimgeour leaned against his desk, his eyes bloodshot. He felt his heart aching from sheer rage. Despite all his precautions, Ethan had found a loophole again! Right under his nose, the boy had strolled into the Ministry in broad daylight!
By the look of things, Ethan had even collected a month's worth of salary!! It was enough to drive a man mad.
Scrimgeour's head throbbed. All he could see was Ethan's handsome face spinning in his mind like a phantom. Greetings... greetings... greetings...
Clatter!
He hurriedly yanked open a drawer and downed a bottle of Calming Draught. Only then did his heart settle slightly. He turned to the Auror on standby and croaked, "Investigate how Ethan managed to sneak in—what is that look on your face?"
The Auror startled, quickly masking the pity in his eyes. "Awaiting your orders, sir!"
Poor Minister Scrimgeour, the Auror thought. He insists on going head-to-head with that Great Demon of Terror. He's going to drive himself insane.
Scrimgeour: "...Every single person involved in letting him in—don't let a single one of them off!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Ethan Vincent... fine. Since you've broken in on your own, don't think you're getting out this time! Mobilize all Aurors! Surround the Veil! Surround the entire Department of Mysteries! Don't let so much as a mosquito through!"
"YES, SIR!!" the Auror shouted, turning and jogging off to relay the command.
Watching his retreat, Scrimgeour's eyes were cold and dark. He whispered to himself, "Coming back from the dangers within the Veil... I don't believe you'll still be at full strength, Ethan Vincent!"
This time, the prey had delivered himself to the doorstep. With every preparation made, the advantage was his. Scrimgeour would not allow another failure.
Inside the Veil
"Achoo!"
Ethan sneezed. The light flickered a few times, drawing terrified stares from those around him.
"W-What's wrong?" Director Croaker asked cautiously. "If something happens to you, we're all finished!"
A shrine hovered in mid-air, emitting a misty, ethereal glow. It was the only light source in this oppressive darkness, warding off the deathly aura and protecting the living who shouldn't have been there.
"It's nothing," Ethan said dismissively. "Probably just someone praising me. That happens a lot."
"Shouldn't you sneeze when someone is cursing you...?" Croaker wondered. But on second thought, someone as brilliant and perfect as this newcomer couldn't possibly be hated. Unless, of course, they were jealous of his talent.
Tsk, the darkness of the human heart, Croaker sighed internally.
Just then, a faint sound echoed from the side. Croaker spun around and immediately locked eyes with a pair of blood-red pupils in the darkness!
Before he could react, a sharp "Squeak!" rang out, and the red eyes lunged at him!
"WTF?!"
Croaker jumped, his wand hand twitching.
WHOOSH!
A flash of fire swept past him from behind! Red as molten iron, it engulfed the lunging creature instantly.
[SQUEAK!]
The creature shrieked, struggling within the roaring flames before dissolving into a cloud of black smoke. Everyone, Croaker included, froze, staring at the pile of black ash.
"W-What was that thing?"
"Looked like a rat."
Ethan stepped forward, casually walking to the edge of the light. He leaned over, observing with great interest. "Rats inside the Veil? Hmph... the hygiene standards here are appalling."
He waited for a moment, but no one responded. Ethan straightened up and sighed. "My, you people are certainly a solemn bunch."
The group: "..."
Is this not the time to be solemn?! Look at where we are!
However, Director Croaker had already decided to follow the "genius recruit" blindly. He forced a laugh. "Ha... haha! Right? Just a rat? Pity I didn't get a good look. It would be nice if a few more showed up—just kidding—"
Before he could finish:
[Squeak, squeak!]
The sound of gnawing and scurrying erupted. One pair, two pairs, three pairs... Blood-red eyes began to light up in the darkness like twisted Christmas lights.
Director Croaker: ( ○ 口 ) ?!
In an instant, everyone's eyes snapped toward Croaker. They glared at him with pure fury.
Who told you to jinx us!!
Ethan shook his head, looking like a weary professor dealing with a reckless Gryffindor. He chuckled, "You really should pick your moments better."
Director Croaker: "...Ugh QAQ"
[Squeak! Squeak squeak!]
Shadowy figures crawled out of the darkness, closing in on the huddling group. Under the flickering light, they finally saw the creatures' faces.
They were indeed rats—but rats the size of dogs! Each one reached up to a person's knee, bloated and grotesque. Their eyes were clouded, their grey fur and flesh were rotting away, yet their claws and teeth remained razor-sharp. They possessed neither the vitality of the living nor the silence of the dead. They were monsters reborn from death, coalesced by some terrifying, evil power to exist in this space between life and death.
Ethan keenly noticed thin threads of magic extending from the rats, trailing deep into the Veil. It was as if they were being controlled by something.
...What exactly lay in the depths of the Veil?
"How curious," Ethan said, the corners of his mouth curling upward. A deep thirst for knowledge burned in his cobalt-blue eyes. "As expected, wherever a Deathly Remnant exists, there are anomalies that defy common sense."
At that moment, a faint whisper drifted from beside him.
"Soon... almost there... Brother, wait for me..."
Ethan glanced sideways. The petite girl, Shasha, was clutching the flute pendant around her neck, muttering to herself incessantly. Since her head was bowed, Ethan could only see the crown of her golden-brown hair.
What a touching display of sibling affection... Ethan thought apathetically, turning his gaze away. But out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something strange.
"Hmm?"
Ethan paused, looking at the flute in the girl's hand. The exquisitely crafted pendant was emitting a magical fluctuation strikingly similar to that of the rats!
Ethan's pupils contracted slightly. Recalling the "Veil Incident" mentioned by the veteran staff, a theory began to form. Could her brother actually be—
Suddenly:
[SQUEAK!]
One rat broke the stalemate and lunged!
WHOOSH!
It was instantly incinerated by the flames of the shrine. However, as the rat's remains hit the ground, it was like a starting gun. Countless red lights surged forward!
[Squeak! Squeak squeak!!]
An endless tide of grey rats gathered into a flood, drowning the world as they rushed toward the group!
The Rat Plague had erupted!
"BOOM!"
A wall of fire rose, burning every rat that dared to leap. The intense heat made everyone's hair stand on end, and even the darkness seemed to warp.
But there were too many of them! The ones behind trampled over the charred corpses of the ones in front, throwing themselves relentlessly at the wall of fire.
Ethan's gaze sharpened. He snapped his fingers, and a high-speed incantation condensed in his mouth, forming a single, mysterious, and powerful syllable:
[Sunder.]
"BOOM!!!"
In an instant, the flames transformed into silken ribbons held by a dancer, flowing around them! The fire wrapped around the group like a protective stream, turning every rat that breached the perimeter into ash.
"Such powerful magic...!"
Director Croaker's eyes widened, staring at the flames in shocked fascination. He looked at Ethan, and for the first time, a flicker of doubt appeared in his mind. Even the strongest members of the Department of Mysteries rarely reach this level. Who is this 'newcomer' really? Why have I never heard of him before...
But there was no time to think.
"AAAAAAAHH——!!!"
A piercing scream shattered the air!
Shasha, who had been hanging her head, suddenly threw her neck back! She strained so hard that the veins stood out on her porcelain skin. Her eyes were clouded and manic, identical to the madness of the rats. Clutching the flute, she roared:
"He's calling me! My brother—Hamelin is calling me!!"
The next second, before anyone could stop her, she bolted, leaping straight past the boundary of the light!
"Hey!"
One researcher instinctively tried to grab her, but his shoulder was firmly pinned by the Director.
"You won't catch her. Let her go," Croaker said, shaking his head as he watched Shasha's retreating figure vanish into the darkness. The researcher's eyes widened, but he couldn't argue. He could only watch as their companion was swallowed by the void.
Silence fell over the group. In a single breath, they had lost one of their own. It was too sudden. They didn't even understand what had happened.
As the others mourned:
Ethan: "Er—as much as I'd hate to interrupt your grieving, I'm afraid we need to run, too."
Ethan stood amidst the roaring fire, looking at them with a deadpan expression. Now I know why the last team was wiped out. These people have zero professional composure.
It wasn't that Ethan was heartless; he simply knew Shasha wasn't dead. Just before she had bolted like a possessed monkey, he had clearly heard notes drifting from that flute. It was very similar to a Mermaid's song—full of powerful enchantment. Clearly, the mastermind behind all this was pulling the strings.
Ethan thought for a moment, then jerked his thumb toward the wall of fire. "The rats are endless, and the light is about to fail. We need to move."
—This was a lie. The magic sustaining the light was more than sufficient, but the rats were endless. It was like burning an infinite supply of paper; staying there was just a waste of magic.
Upon hearing "the light is about to fail," the group's morale snapped. They scrambled to their feet and began to run! They sprinted through the gaps in the rat tide, and the direction they took was "coincidentally" the same one Shasha had gone.
It seems someone is intentionally guiding us, Ethan thought. Looking at the army of rats behind them, he was reminded of herding cattle. Except this time, the humans were the livestock being driven.
They ran for an unknown amount of time. The unchanging darkness of the Veil blurred the concepts of time and space. As fatigue set in, the researchers began to feel like they were "running in place," which only added to their mental strain.
Only Ethan remained composed, strolling along as if he were taking a walk in a park rather than being hunted through a terrifying, supernatural void.
"B-Brother!" a researcher panted. "May I ask what kind of training you usually do? How are you so calm?!"
"Training?" Ethan thought about it and answered honestly. "Usually, I race against a Cerberus in the morning. At noon, I play catch with a Death Bird. In the afternoon, I have a pleasant tea party with the wizards in Knockturn Alley, and in the evening, I go three hundred rounds wrestling with a Gargoyle."
Researcher: ?
A slow question mark formed in the man's mind, and then he burst out laughing. "Haha, you really know how to tell a joke!"
Ethan: (^_^)
Researcher: "...You are joking, right?" (Terrified_face.jpg)
As the researcher began to question his life choices, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. It turns out humans are no different from moths; both are drawn to the light. Even if they didn't know what was producing it in this godforsaken place, they couldn't help but feel a surge of hope.
"Look! Light! We're almost there!"
The group shouted, drawing on a final burst of energy to sprint toward the source. As if confirming they were on the right path, the rat swarm behind them gradually disappeared.
Then, someone with sharp eyes spotted a figure in the light and cried out in surprise, "Look! Is that Shasha?!"
Shasha—the girl they had assumed was dead—was standing with her back to them, motionless within the glow. An eerie atmosphere radiated from the scene.
Gulp.
The group swallowed hard. Like trapped moths, they finally realized that what awaited them might not be hope after all. However, when they tried to turn back, pairs of blood-red eyes emerged from the darkness behind them.
"We're already here. Might as well keep going," Ethan said calmly.
His steady voice settled their racing hearts. They traded glances, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. But when they finally saw what was emitting the light, they froze. A mixture of terror and wonder filled their eyes.
A massive, multicolored fabric hung from above. On closer inspection, it was a "cloak" stitched together from countless fragments of different clothes. It looked like a circus tent, partially veiling something inside while emitting a misty glow. From within, the constant sound of "squeaking" could be heard, as if a tide of rats was huddled together inside.
Atop this patchwork cloak, which stood several meters high, was a man's face. But this face also looked as though it were stitched together from various pieces of skin, resulting in an uneven, grotesque complexion.
Upon seeing them, a delighted grin spread across the patchwork face. He bowed slowly and spoke in a deep, elegant voice:
[Welcome to my kingdom, lost children... My name is Hamelin. You may call me... the "Pied Piper."]
As he spoke, thin, skeletal arms reached out from beneath the patchwork cloak, grasping a gleaming brass flute.
"Merlin's beard... what kind of monster is this...?" the researcher whispered, looking up at the towering creature, though his eyes couldn't help but sparkle with scientific curiosity.
Ethan's attention, however, was elsewhere. He stared at the monster's "tent" of a cloak. Inside his pocket, the Pointing Bone was vibrating violently!
—Found it. A Deathly Remnant!
The next fragment of Death was inside that monster's belly!
[Oh... my brave, sweet sister. Thank you for finding me.]
An arm reached down, tenderly stroking Shasha's head. Then, the Pied Piper turned toward the stunned group, a smile that was both elegant and manic spreading across his face.
[Don't be afraid... I shall turn you into my lovely rat swarm now... and you can live happily ever after, forever and ever, with my dear sister...!!]
As the words fell, a sharp, ear-piercing flute melody suddenly rang out!
--
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