"Is it dead? It was pretty weak."
Mochi was still surprised by what had just happened.
Haruka examined the anomaly's body, which was already beginning to disappear, and picked up its core—a small purple stone.
"This is really strange."
"What's wrong, Haruka?"
"This anomaly should have been at least Rank C, but considering how easily it died and how small its core is, I'd say it was actually on the lower end of Rank D. An anomaly at that level shouldn't have any special power or ability. It's only at Rank B that they acquire one."
While they spoke, neither of them noticed that from the slowly disintegrating corpse, a very small centipede slipped out and crawled away unnoticed.
With the anomaly eliminated, the purple mist that had covered the place quickly began to dissipate, and those who had been trapped in illusions were able to wake up. That night left behind three dead, two seriously injured, and one missing person who was later found by Haruka frozen outside the inn, bringing the total to four dead. Among the dead were the chef and Rin's mother.
For the rest of the night, the three of them had to deal with the aftermath of the incident. It wasn't until sunrise that they were able to get some rest. The situation was quite complicated; everyone's morale was at rock bottom. Today was supposed to be the third day. If everything followed the legend, then by tomorrow's dawn, everything should come to an end.
The three of them went to sleep at dawn, exhausted after another sleepless night, and ended up waking well past lunchtime. Unlike previous days, this time no employee had prepared any food.
"Ugh, I'm starving!" Mochi complained as she lay sprawled on the futon.
"Mochi, do you want me to get you something from the vending machine?"
"I don't want something from the vending machine. My stomach wants real food."
That was when Miyu suddenly perked up with her usual energy.
"I have a great idea! How about the three of us cook something together? It'll be fun, we can lift the mood and eat something delicious."
"Yeah, that's a good idea. Haruka, come on, pleeease?"
Haruka simply smiled. She couldn't refuse a request from Mochi.
"Alright. If it's decided, let's go to the kitchen."
They left the room and headed straight to the kitchen. Unlike previous days, they didn't run into anyone in the hallways. No one was in the mood to leave their rooms. Even though it had been an illusion, when they woke up they realized what they had done—they had attacked each other, injured one another, and some had even killed their companions or friends. They were devastated. Worst of all, there was no escape. Leaving the inn now meant certain death.
Cooking together was fun. They sat at the table while Haruka explained the plans for the day.
"Assuming today will be the last day, it will also be the worst. We need to be prepared for tonight."
"Are we going to spend the whole day training again?"
Haruka shook her head.
"It wouldn't make sense to exhaust ourselves now. The best option is to use this day to rest and face the night in the best possible condition. We can relax, go to the hot springs. The only training you'll do is practicing moving ether within your body, since it doesn't drain you. Other than that, we can take it easy."
This day felt the most like a vacation for them. Mochi was able to relax and have fun with her friends, while trying not to think about the night that was approaching.
By the afternoon, Mochi and Miyu were lying on the massage sofas, which without electricity were nothing more than expensive couches.
"Miyu…" Mochi broke the silence, staring at the ceiling beams. "I had a really good time today. It's been a while since I felt this… light. I was able to have fun with you guys."
Miyu turned her head slightly, giving her a soft smile—the kind that seems to understand everything without needing explanations.
"Me too, senpai," she replied quietly. "I wish every day could be like this. No fighting, no having to look over our shoulders."
Mochi didn't return the smile. Instead, her fingers began to fidget nervously with the edge of her sleeve.
"But… I wonder if it's right. If it's okay that I had fun."
Miyu frowned slightly, adjusting herself on the couch to look at her better.
"What do you mean?"
"This morning…" Mochi swallowed, and the sound seemed to echo in the silent hall. "This morning we were dragging four bodies into an empty room. They were people who treated us kindly, Miyu. People we promised would be safe under our watch. And yet…"
Mochi squeezed her eyes shut, as if the images were projected onto her eyelids.
"Just a few months ago, when we infiltrated the university… that was the first time I saw someone die. It was a guy I had only known for a week, but I couldn't sleep for days. His screams came back every time I closed my eyes. But now look at me. Today… today I saw those people get killed. People who treated us kindly. And just a couple of hours later, I was joking with Haruka and eating like nothing happened. It scares me to think that one day something might happen to you… and I… I'll just move on without caring. I don't want to be like that, Miyu. I don't want to stop caring."
"Miyu… I'm scared," Mochi suddenly said. Her voice sounded small, almost childlike. "I feel like something's wrong with me. Like I'm becoming cold and insensitive."
Miyu stayed silent for a moment. She didn't use complicated words; she simply slid off her couch and sat on the floor right in front of Mochi, placing a warm hand on her feet.
"Mochi, look at me," Miyu said softly.
Mochi blinked, a little surprised. It was the first time Miyu hadn't added "Senpai" after her name.
"This morning, when that anomaly attacked… you got angry, didn't you?"
"Yes. It was horrible, they didn't deserve to die like that. It was unfair."
"There's your answer." Miyu gave her a gentle squeeze. "If you were becoming insensitive, you wouldn't be angry. You wouldn't even be scared right now."
Mochi lowered her gaze, trying to process her words.
"But why doesn't it affect me like before?"
"Because if it affected you that way every time we couldn't save someone, with the same intensity as the first time, you wouldn't be able to get up from this couch anymore," Miyu explained calmly. "It's not that you don't care, it's that your body is helping you keep fighting. But I see you, Mochi. I see how you take care of Haruka and me. I see how you're always the first to throw yourself into danger. Someone who's insensitive wouldn't do that."
Miyu gave her a small smile, but one full of certainty.
"You're scared because you're a good person. So don't worry about the future. I know you care about us, and that's enough."
Mochi let out a long sigh, feeling as if a knot in her throat had loosened a little. It wasn't that the fear had completely disappeared, but at least she no longer felt alone in that darkness.
"Let's go back to the room. It won't be long before sunset. Haruka will probably want to tell us something."
* * *
It was close to sunset when the situation outside began to change significantly. Although the temperature remained brutally low, the snowstorm stopped completely. For Haruka, it was like seeing again after being blind for two days: the ether began to flow clearly, sharp, almost painfully intense.
When the sun started to sink below the horizon, the final… and most dangerous night began.
It didn't take long for the first major event to occur.
All three of them felt a chill run through their bodies, a sensation similar to an electric shock invading all their senses. They knew instantly what it was.
An extremely powerful pulse of ether.
Its origin was the lake.
The pulse was constant, repeating every fifteen minutes. But the worst came afterward. In response to that signal, anomalies began to appear from everywhere. They emerged from the forest and headed straight toward the lake without hesitation, then plunged into the icy waters… and never came back out.
It wasn't just a few.
There were dozens of anomalies, of different ranks, from E to C.
The group watched the scene from the balcony.
"Haruka… what is all this? There are too many," Mochi pressed herself against her, clearly distressed by what she was seeing. "Can we really win against something like this?"
"For now, we'll be fine," Haruka replied calmly, without taking her eyes off the lake. "They're completely ignoring us. That pulse seems to have some kind of hypnotic property. The anomalies don't even notice we're here. But we need to hurry and prepare for what's coming."
"What's coming…? What do you mean?" Miyu asked, swallowing nervously.
"This pulse won't affect high-rank anomalies," Haruka explained. "They will definitely come. Think about it: many anomalies won't respond to the signal, no matter what. Right now, this place is like an all-you-can-eat buffet for them."
Miyu frowned, confused.
"Anomalies… eat each other too?"
"They feed on ether," Haruka nodded. "The reason they mainly attack humans, even though they have less ether, is because it's easier. Hunting other anomalies involves a certain level of risk. You could end up becoming the prey… or attracting the attention of others."
She paused briefly.
"They don't like it when another anomaly starts growing stronger too quickly. They feel threatened. And when that happens, they prefer to eliminate the problem at the root."