Klein had just recovered his spirituality and was beginning to divine Ian Wright's whereabouts when he suddenly heard the ethereal sound of layered prayers echoing in his ears.
'Who is it? It couldn't be Mr. Devil again, could it? No, it shouldn't be. He only just started his meal.' Klein frowned, listening intently. He could only vaguely discern that the supplicant was likely a woman, and her voice was fragmented, as if she were in immense pain.
Klein's brow furrowed immediately. Without any hesitation, he walked four steps in reverse and arrived above the grey fog, entering the majestic palace. This time, however, it wasn't a crimson star that was expanding and contracting. Instead, ripples of clear light were spreading from the side of The Fool's designated chair.
'A prayer from a non-Tarot Club member? Is it another lady recommended by Miss Justice?' Klein sat in his seat, deep in thought, and extended his spirituality toward the rippling circle of light.
Immediately, the scenes around him shifted dramatically. He saw a lady struggling on the floor in agony, and beside her stood a short girl who seemed desperate to help but was at a complete loss. The fragmented prayers reached his ears, but Klein found himself at a crossroads. He couldn't simply...
Wait!
Klein suddenly noticed that within the lady's prayers, there seemed to be a faint undertone. It was a murmur that lacked any trace of madness or evil, carry no obvious malice.
'These are... the Full Moon Ravings?' Klein immediately recalled the ravings mentioned in Pandrax's diary that had led to the decline of an entire family. At the same time, he remembered the first Roselle diary entry he had ever seen, which mentioned a Mr. Door who was lost in the storm and could only approach the main world during a full moon.
'If this lady's near-loss of control is due to the Full Moon Ravings, would she recover if she simply couldn't hear them?' With that thought, Klein reached out toward the rippling circle of light. Immediately, a connection on the mystical level was established.
...
"Fors! You have to hang on!" Xio watched as Fors continued to roll across the floor in agony, even displaying signs of losing control despite having recited The Fool's honorific name. A wave of regret washed over Xio. Had she known the response of a Great Existence wouldn't be instantaneous, she would have insisted on praying yesterday to "make an appointment" for Fors.
But now, it was clearly too late. All she could do was move any dangerous objects away to prevent Fors from hurting herself during her struggle. Yet, for Fors's state of near-loss of control, this was clearly meaningless.
"Fors! Hold on!" Xio's eyes welled with tears. But in the next moment, her friend, who had been writhing on the floor, suddenly went still.
"Fors! Fors!" Xio was truly terrified now. Anyone seeing someone go from rolling in pain to complete silence would assume the worst.
However, when Xio lunged to Fors's side, she breathed a sigh of relief. Fors was still breathing, and the abnormal scales that had begun to surface on her skin were gradually fading as her breathing grew steady again.
"Did she pull through?" Xio muttered to herself, somewhat unconvinced. She didn't relax, instead pulling a chair over to sit by Fors's side, quietly waiting for her friend to wake.
...
'Am I... dead? Or did the Full Moon Ravings end?' Fors's chaotic mind suddenly cleared, as if the previous agony, agitation, madness, and despair had all been a hallucination.
She opened her eyes in a daze, only to find herself inside a palace that felt like a dwelling for giants. Before her sat an ancient, mottled bronze table, surrounded by towering stone pillars, with a boundless greyish-white fog stretching beneath her. As her gaze shifted, she finally noticed a mysterious figure wrapped in thick grey fog at the head of the table, appearing as if he were looking down upon all living beings.
Fors quickly gathered her thoughts, but she still pushed herself up and offered a bow. "May I ask if you are Mr. Fool?"
Klein nodded slightly, "You may simply call me Mr. Fool."
He watched as the symbol on the chair behind Fors transformed into a series of layered doors. This reminded him once more of "Mr. Door," the existence mentioned in Roselle's diary.
'Snow didn't lie to me. The Fool truly can help me intercept the influence of the Full Moon Ravings. Though I still don't know what kind of disposition this Great Existence has...' Fors murmured to herself.
But Mr. Fool spoke first, "Do you hear those ravings from an unknown source every time there is a full moon?"
...
"Fors! You're finally awake! How are you? Did anything happen? What did that Fool do to you? Did He ask you to offer any sacrifices?"
Fors opened her eyes groggily only to be met with a barrage of questions. She had just recovered from the shock of meeting a Great Existence and was still a bit dazed. After a brief moment, she rubbed her head and said, "I can't answer all that at once!"
"Are you truly Fors? You haven't gone mad? No other influences?" Seeing Fors's lazy and slightly playful gaze, Xio, who had lived with her for a long time, immediately confirmed this was indeed Fors and not some evil spirit occupying her body.
Fors slowly took stock of her current state before shaking her head. "If I wasn't dreaming just now... then I was indeed saved by a mysterious and powerful existence. I asked Him about you, and He said He respects everyone's faith. If you only recited His name by accident, He won't do anything to you."
Fors hesitated. In the end, she didn't tell Xio about joining a strange gathering. For one, that existence hadn't granted her permission to reveal the "Tarot Club" to Xio because her spirituality had run out. Secondly, she couldn't yet determine if that existence was truly harmless.
"That's good then." Xio nodded.
...
Returning to reality, Klein pondered whether Miss Magician had any connection to the Abraham family, who were mentioned in Pandrax's diary as "no longer having any demigods." He didn't dwell on it for long, instead turning his attention back to his own troubles.
At this moment, he felt a twinge of regret. He regretted not purchasing the "disguise" tutorial from Mr. Devil when he was short on money, as he was now stuck in a rather problematic situation. Moreover, he still harbored doubts about whether Mr. Devil was maintaining a normal state. In any case, it was best to show weakness for now.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]