Chapter 77: A Shared Problem
The original Takeshi could see the clones from inside the house. But when he stepped outside, he no longer saw them. In his sight, there was only darkness, rain, and black clouds, as if his mind was being clouded by the mist.
Takeshi was frantic, glancing around. Not a single clone appeared before his eyes, making him even more panicked.
He looked around in horror. Even his thoughts were trembling and stuttering:
-"W-What? Where are the clones? Why can't I see them anymore?"
He couldn't understand what was happening. His head was empty, unable even to think of a logical hypothesis, or any hypothesis at all to debunk.
He could only look around in bewilderment and ask himself: "Why are they gone?"
....
At this time, it was Takeshi B... now he could see…
The original Takeshi was currently looking around in a panic. In front of him were rows of clones, as thick as a swarm of ants. They were piled on top of each other to the point of distortion.
He opened his eyes wide in panic, his gaze suspicious. His voice became urgent. The cool outside air rushed straight into his nose. it didn't make him alert; he was still terrified.
"What the hell? S-So many."
He remembered what a previous Takeshi had said. His mind became increasingly chaotic.
"Could it be that this is what he saw? It's unbelievable."
Feeling something at the edge of his eye, he turned. It was another Takeshi clone, looking bewildered, eyes wide and somewhat panicked.
The original Takeshi now pressed closer, frantic but also curious. He frowned, observing the Takeshi clone who was clutching his hair in confusion.
The original Takeshi was a bit curious, watching every gesture. But after watching for a while, he felt a bit bored and impatient. He turned away and ignored him.
-"Should I try going to where there are many clones to see if there's anything?"
-"But it's strange. Clearly, I couldn't see them at first? But why can I see them after stepping out of the house?"
He swept his wet red hair back to keep it out of the way.
-"Clearly, it was the Takeshi holding the stick initially. He was the only one who could see."
-"Could it be that I can see too?"
-"But I'm not the original?"
-"Is the reasoning about the original and the clones wrong?"
Standing among so many clones, he curiously reached out his hand and passed it through other clones. But that was just verification; his mind was still thinking.
-"Or is the problem in entering and exiting the door?"
-"Initially, I didn't see them, and entering the house I didn't see them either. After stepping out, I saw them. But the Takeshi with that staff saw them initially; surely he saw them inside the house too, right? So did he see them when he went out?"
Realizing something horrific, he panicked, running through the clones. He wanted to return to where he once stood to find the Takeshi who had stood beside him.
-"Could it be that the clone standing next to me was the Takeshi who had seen the clones before?"
-"I was also the first one to step outside. So perhaps, I stole that ability from him?"
Hurried footsteps splashed into puddles, spraying water. But now he couldn't find the spot where he had stood anymore. He also couldn't distinguish which one was the previous original Takeshi.
He stopped and looked around in helplessness. He was quite tired and couldn't run anymore.
-"S-So it means the problem lies in the order of people stepping outside. Suppose he was the original, but once inside, that doesn't matter. And in that house, whoever steps out first will be the original."
His pupils trembled in their sockets. A sense of guilt and discomfort began to brew inside him. He stood frozen in the pouring rain; large raindrops fell in waves like slaps to his face.
-"I... stole his ability?"
Droplets fell from his soaked and matted clumps of hair, like the guilt forming within him.
But then he pushed it aside, shaking his head a few times. His will became a bit more spirited as he thought about that meeting.
-"But if I'm the original and successfully escape, the other clones will escape too, right?"
His red eyes flashed with the light of determination. He didn't want to waste the opportunity that the other clone had granted him.
-"Wait for me. I will definitely do it. Just consider these as the boulders of challenges you gave me. I will escape."
He took a deep breath and held it, as if wanting to push the weak thoughts down, making room for determination. He let out a long breath, relaxing his mind.
-"Alright, let's start exploring this damn trial."
…
He walked with footsteps that had lightened, stepping firmly on the ground covered in a thin layer of water, splashing his pant legs. But he didn't care about the dampness of his entire body caused by the rain, which seemed to want to stop him.
Walking through the clones without hesitation, he approached a house, stepping onto the wooden floor. A "creak" sound echoed. He went under the small awning of the house.
Standing before the door with a bit of thought. He raised his hand, placed it on the doorknob, and gripped it tightly.
-"Now I'll probably explore the houses and gather clues. And surely the point of note is that I must step outside first."
He pushed the door inside with silence. The scene inside the house was as familiar as ever, no different from the other houses.
Standing before his eyes were Airi, Elyssia, Ayaka, and especially 2 Takeshis. Everyone turned to look at him, their bewildered eyes still fixed on him as he opened the door and stood there.
In the room there are 2 Takeshis, so call them Takeshi A and B.
Takeshi B stood in the middle of the house, his body also soaked, glancing frantically at both sides. Both hands pointed to both sides, one hand at Takeshi A, one hand at the original Takeshi with confusion.
His voice stuttered: "W-What... is this now?"
The original Takeshi stood outside observing silently. He showed a face that wasn't too expressionless to build trust.
Airi, with irritation, raised her voice:
"Is this some joke of this trial? Monsters transforming?"
Elyssia stood behind still taking notes. Ayaka observed silently.
Takeshi reached out a hand in front of Airi to stop her from approaching.
"Calm down Airi, even if we assume they are transformed monsters. But they could also be clues."
Airi let out a sigh; she knew that too.
"No need to remind me. But having 2 other people exactly like you is truly hard to understand."
Ayaka also found it strange and nodded: "Indeed."
The original Takeshi lifted his leg and prepared to step inside. His voice was calm as if he had grasped a bit of the situation.
"I can explain this problem..."
Just as he set foot on the stone floor inside, took another step, and entered the house completely.
The scene shifted to high above. Row after row of houses appeared endlessly. At a place very, very far away. Extremely far.
A certain Takeshi pushed the door open and stepped outside slowly. His eyes and expression were somber, as if he had experienced something.
His eyes, which were cast down at the ground, slowly looked up. Before him now were rows of other clones standing outside. Each clone in a different pose; just looking was enough to see everyone was wet. Some were stroking their chins in thought, some were running in a hurry.
This Takeshi now frowned and observed. He grimaced with confusion and a bit of panic.
"What the hell? Why are there so many?"
He stood silently observing for a while. His eyes darted like a hunting hawk observing.
-"Is this a sub-game of the trial? Making me find out who the real one is or something?"
Observing more closely, he noticed some had more torn clothes, some were intact, even new.
"But there are too many."
He froze as if realizing something. He glanced once more. There were a few different details on their bodies.
"Each clone is a bit different, even though they are identical."
He watched a clone as it brushed past him and went straight toward some place.
"Could it be that they are created from the times memories were erased?"
"When inside the house, at first they were intact. The times after that, struggling with the man, they were a bit scratched up."
He nodded in appreciation, finding his hypothesis quite plausible and believable.
"So logical."
"Maybe they are exactly the clones from previous memory wipes."
Stepping out from the awning, raindrops fell onto his disheveled hair. He stepped on the water pooled on the ground.
As he walked, he observed the surroundings. Looking closely at the clones, they were indeed a bit different.
He reached out and waved in front of the clones. He shouted:
"Hey?... Do you hear me?"
Only the sound of rain and thunder from afar answered him.
-"They don't hear me?"
He scratched his head, a bit troubled.
-"Feels like there's a hitch somewhere, doesn't it? I feel like I just need to think a bit deeper to understand, but I can't think of it."
-"They really don't see me, yet I see them. This point is the anomaly."
-"For now, just consider the idea that they are the clones of the memory wipes. That means I must be a special individual."
He shook his head, feeling that wasn't it.
-"No, I must be a special clone."
-"Or maybe only I have consciousness while they don't?"
Observing the movements and expressions of each clone, Takeshi found them very lifelike.
-"They look so real, maybe that's not it. Or maybe this trial was arranged so they have such lifelike expressions."
He frowned and looked down at the ground, observing the thin layer of water beneath his feet. He instinctively raised his hand and stared at it. His eyes widened as if realizing something.
-"Could it be that because I can see them, it shows I am not a clone? That I am the original."
He stroked his chin, which was wet from rain. His face was thoughtful and he nodded, feeling it was quite correct.
-"But the moment I stepped outside, I saw a crowd standing here. Could it be that every time someone goes out, the trial arranges it like this? Doesn't sound very logical, does it?"
-"They can only be pre-existing. But if they are pre-existing, why am I the original? Was I chosen?"
-"No, there will likely be a catch. Where does the problem lie?"
He remembered the time before.
All four had just stepped out of the initial room and went downstairs.
Airi looked around.
"This place is so simple?"
Ayaka sighed a bit helplessly: "It's a trial; if it's arranged this way, we play along."
Elyssia walked to the door and peered outside. She was quite surprised by the heavy rain.
"It's raining so hard outside. It seems the roof is quite thick and sturdy. That's why we heard so little sound while inside."
Airi and Ayaka came closer.
Ayaka: "Let me see too."
Airi stood with her hands on her hips.
"Why not just open the door? Why peek?"
Elyssia stood still and nodded.
"Yeah, I didn't even think of that."
She grabbed the doorknob and pulled it toward her. Outside, black clouds covered the sky; the rain fell like a waterfall.
Takeshi stood behind observing.
"Focus, everyone. Now is not the time to watch the rain."
Ayaka turned back and said with an earnest voice:
"Just for a moment."
All three girls went outside the door but remained under the awning. Ayaka stood on the left, Elyssia in the middle, and Airi on the right. Each watched a different corner.
Airi: "How long has it been raining? So much water."
Takeshi sat silently in a chair, waiting for the girls to finish. He picked up the water bottle and slowly poured water.
Outside, Ayaka reached out her hand to catch the rain. The raindrops fell on her hand. The cold sensation of the rain made her shiver and she suddenly exclaimed:
"So cold!"
Airi also reached out to catch the rain.
"So realistic. That guy Vilkel created such a large space that feels so real."
Elyssia nodded and pointed forward.
"Look there, so many houses one after another. It seems very vast."
Ayaka felt quite interested in the rain. She smiled brightly and excitedly.
"Previously in the forest, the rain could barely penetrate down. Seeing it with my own eyes now is truly interesting."
Elyssia was quite surprised.
"You lived in the forest?"
Ayaka: "Yeah, then Kazuka, Airi, and Takeshi came and dragged me out."
Airi smiled.
" 'Dragged' sounds so violent to you?"
Ayaka stepped down onto the ground, wanting to enjoy the rain and immerse herself in the raindrops.
Airi turned back and smiled with a bit of internal joy.
"Alright, enough watching."
But she didn't see Ayaka anywhere. She frowned slightly and placed a hand on Elyssia's shoulder, who was looking into the distance.
"Let's go inside."
Elyssia nodded and turned around. Both went into the house. Airi spoke first and asked:
"Hey, Takeshi? Where's Ayaka?"
Takeshi was sitting, leaning on his hand. He replied nonchalantly:
"How would I know? She went out with you guys."
Airi frowned.
"I thought she came in?"
Takeshi shook his head.
"No, I was looking outside too. If she came in, I would know."
Elyssia and Airi felt something was wrong. They turned and looked at each other.
Elyssia: "Did she vanish?"
Takeshi jumped up.
"You're not joking, are you?"
Airi and Elyssia immediately turned and ran outside. They cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted loudly:
"Hey Ayaka? Where are you?"
"Ayakaaaaa?"
Elyssia and Airi stepped down at the same time, exactly where Ayaka had stepped.
Takeshi ran outside. He felt a bit of silence. He glanced around in horror.
"Where is everyone?"
But there was no one. The silhouettes of the three of them were nowhere to be found.
Gripping the edge of the wall tightly, his eyes were still wide with panic. His voice trembled, unable to believe what had just happened.
"H-How could they vanish? They were just here. Vanishing like that... how?"
He swallowed hard in panic. He stood on the wooden floor, slightly higher than the ground below. The small stone tiles were soaked with water.
-"Where are you guys? Are you kidding me?"
-"Could it be that they stepped outside? D-Did they break a rule of the trial?"
He walked close to the edge of the porch floor in worry. He extended his leg, wanting to try stepping down... after a moment of holding his foot in the air in hesitation... he pulled his leg back... He thought of a hypothesis that he deemed the most logical he could have.
-"What if breaking another rule means the trial is completely lost? And I won't be able to get the stone."
-"Damn it, why were they so careless? I'm the only one left, how can I finish the trial? You were too careless. Is this the price of negligence?"
Biting his lip so hard it bled, the warm blood flowed down his chin and across his lips. He didn't care and turned back into the house in dejection and irritation. He didn't forget to close the door.
He sat in the chair, his body heavy as if weighed down by boulders. He was dejected that he was alone with no one to accompany him. Both hands propped on the table, he ruffled his hair until it was messy; his red hair now looked like a bundle of straw.
-"Vanishing like that can only mean they broke a rule and the trial sent them outside."
-"You guys acted foolishly. Even if the trial didn't mention it, you should have been sensible and avoided it. Now I'm alone, how can I solve this?"
Group work is always more effective than being alone, especially for those who still have limitations in some areas. Like debating, where one asks and the other answers, continuously debunking each other's wrong ideas to lead to the most correct choice. But now Takeshi was alone; it was hard for him to make the most logical choices.
While clutching his hair, he suddenly remembered Vermyx was inside. He stopped ruffling his head.
-"Hey? Vermyx? Where are you? Help me!"
....
A moment of silence occurred in his head. He waited silently for Vermyx to answer, but there was no response.
Closing his eyes to keep his mind alert, he tried to find Vermyx inside himself, but he wasn't there. It felt as if he had completely disappeared.
-"Truly strange. Why isn't he here? He usually talks a lot, doesn't he?"
-"Could this trial have done something to him?"
-"What should I do now? There's no paper to write on either. Will I just sit and wait for the trial to automatically wipe my memory? Can everyone return?"
He swallowed in anxiety, staring at his hand, his eyes trembling.
-"W-What if I die right now? Would it be over?"
He stood up slowly with a bit of dejection. The chair he was sitting in was pushed back and creaked. It hit the table, making it shake. The cups shook with the table and clinked against each other, making a "clink-clink" sound.
He turned and went outside, opening the door slowly as if his weak arm had lost all strength.
He looked outside quietly with an indescribable loneliness. His gaze drooped like a sleepy person, but in reality, he was sad. Watching the rain outside, lightning kept flashing in the distance. He felt a bit better watching the rain.
He snapped his body around back inside, wanting to focus on the main objective.
-"Now I must finish the trial quickly. Staying like this is just treading water."
He went straight to the cellar without any hesitation.
…
Back to the present, he was still standing in the middle of the rain.
He realized something quite unusual. A feeling of fear rushed in strongly.
-"Wait, if they are me from a previous memory wipe..."
His eyes opened wider.
-"No, saying memory wipe isn't right. It's more like each repetition is a loop, and... I might also be a certain loop."
The sound of his heavy breathing was drowned out by the rain. His eyes were shocked as he realized his hypothesis was currently very correct.
-"I-If... it's true, then am I just an arbitrary loop? And there will be loops even further away."
-"And everyone... could be just like me. They became like the lost ones standing ahead."
-"Then the fact that I am the original and can see all of them is even more logical. They are the loops in my future."
-"And now, what do I need to do to escape this vicious cycle? Otherwise, I'll be stuck here forever."
-"But I am the original, the main version. Yet I'm still not clear on what I need to do."
His clothes were now soaked by the rain; his hair was matted. His body felt heavier. The raindrops fell on him so clearly he could hear them, but he didn't care. Right now, he was trying to think of something—something he believed would be logical for an original.
But despite coming up with logical information, he still couldn't figure out what his mission was.
-"Damn it, think! Everyone knows escaping is the goal. But what needs to be done to escape this hellish place?"
Glancing around at the houses, he thought of another idea.
-"Is it about exploring around here?"
-"Will these houses have any clues? Since this is a trial, surely the inside isn't anything good."
Walking past the clones, a clone passed right through him, making him extremely surprised.
-"Passing right through is truly surreal."
-"Now these guys are me from other loops. Surely they've explored these houses too, right? Maybe each loop is different or not different at all."
-"But what if I try going very far and find a house that no one has reached yet? I think that would be better. Because if these clones could find it around here, then why would I still be here?"
His mind paused for a beat as if realizing something.
-"There's a problem... I'm not the original at all. Actually, the guys in the further loops are the main versions. And I am just a clone in a lower loop..."
This information truly shocked him, and he froze, stopping his walk. He seemed to lose all vitality.
-"Then what am I doing? What am I trying to do? While I am just a mistake of myself in a previous loop."
-"But the fact that I can see other versions proves there is a purpose. It wants me to do something, not just sit and wait."
-"There's definitely an intention."
His eyes brightened, as if a new hope had appeared.