"According to legend, since ancient times, all emotions have had their 'root emotion', and every feeling manifests as a copy of it."
In a corner of the abandoned amusement park, a two-headed wooden puppet dressed in a suit suddenly spoke when it heard my footsteps. It sounded as though it were addressing me, yet also as though it were speaking to itself.
"Happiness, joy, desire, anger… all emotions are replicas of the root."
After temporarily dismissing the students, I followed the voice alone and stopped not far away, silently gazing at the figure's back.
"As an artist, I drew inspiration from this idea. Though I do not know where this emotion will lead me… it is profound, exalted, and brimming within me…"
At that point, accompanied by a teeth-grating creak, the life-sized humanoid wooden puppet with two heads stiffly turned around. Its tone, however, was filled with enthusiasm.
"Ah, Sensei, forgive my discourtesy. It has been many days since we last met. I wonder, do you still remember me?"
I gave a slight nod and spoke its codename. "Maestro."
A member of Gematria, a colleague of Black Suit and Beatrice.
Though we had only met once, its distinctive appearance had left a deep impression on me.
I paused, then asked, "Turning Utopia into the Slumpia, was that your handiwork?"
"A mere clumsy work, it makes me laugh that you noticed."
Even so, there was a hint of pride in the Maestro's voice.
Receiving his affirmative reply, I thought to myself, just as expected.
In fact, when I first heard the rumors of the Slumpia, I had already directed my suspicions toward Gematria.
After all, they were the only mysterious organization I had encountered in Kivotos. If there truly were phenomena in this abandoned amusement park that defied common sense, and if they were caused by human hands, they were the only ones I could think of.
The Maestro asked politely again, "May I ask, Sensei, what guidance brings you here?"
"I merely developed some interest after hearing the rumors," I replied ambiguously. "If you do not mind, I hope to borrow your work to verify a hypothesis of mine."
Although the Maestro's wooden heads were incapable of showing any change in expression, the trembling of his body was enough to convey his surprise and excitement.
"My unverified art, to be fortunate enough to become material for your creation?"
To be honest, I had always been curious how the card, and I as its holder, appeared in the eyes of Gematria, to inspire such reverence toward me.
But curiosity aside, in order to maintain that image and the advantageous position that came with it, I could not ask directly, nor could I probe too much around the edges. I could only piece together information of uncertain accuracy from their words, while speaking as little as possible, and even then choosing my words carefully.
In short, when facing Gematria, I played the role of a mysterious riddler.
I emphasized, "It is still only at the hypothesis stage."
The Maestro nodded. "It was I who was carried away by joy. I offer you my sincere apologies for my rashness. Then, please allow me to continue introducing the creation I am conducting here.
"After gaining inspiration, I chose this place. Within this abandoned amusement park, there remain residues of many people's happiness and laughter. To me, these are exquisite base materials.
"And now, after being copied, these emotions have reappeared here. The abandoned dolls have finally been granted a meaning to exist.
"I call these imitations. As the other side of mystery, replicas of joy imbued with the attribute of terror."
As he spoke these obscure words, the Maestro's emotions and pitch grew ever more fervent.
"Come, Sensei. Please witness the art I have created, and freely transform it into nourishment for you and the students you have chosen, so that I may have the honor of beholding the legend you will recreate, the great undertaking you will achieve."
Seeing him so excited, I felt an unexpected sense of awkwardness, as though the pressure on me had grown heavier.
The refinement of divine names was undoubtedly one of the most core abilities of my card.
However, even now, I still did not know how this ability actually worked. The only divine name I had obtained, that of the White Crowned King, had been unlocked entirely by accident, through coincidental circumstances.
I even suspected that this divine name was some sort of beginner benefit granted to me, deliberately made easier.
In any case, even if I wanted to replicate it, I had no clue where to begin.
While muttering doubts inwardly, my face betrayed not the slightest hesitation.
"That will depend on whether your work can provide my students with sufficient trials. Words are unnecessary. Maestro, show me the location of the piece you, as the creator, consider most suitable at present."
"I shall comply with your will."
With creaking sounds, the Maestro bowed to me and provided two nearby coordinates.
Comparing them with the map from when the Slumpia was still Utopia, I realized that these two locations were the circus near the gate leading to another area, and the fortune-telling house after entering the next area.
In other words, even without the information provided by the Maestro, if we had simply proceeded step by step, we would have encountered the "abandoned dolls" he spoke of.
Still, receiving this information at least clarified the next step of my plan.
I nodded to the Maestro and was about to bid farewell when he suddenly spoke again.
"Forgive my discourtesy, Sensei. Among the students you have brought this time, there seems to be a rather peculiar existence… ah, or rather, can that truly be called a student?"
Hearing this, my gaze sharpened, and I replied coldly.
"She is my student."
"…Could it be that she is also one of the materials you require?"
The Maestro seemed momentarily taken aback, but soon grew even more excited. "What kind of vision are you yearning for? I, I truly… no, please do not reveal it to me now. I will restrain this anticipation and reserve it for the joy and shock of witnessing it with my own eyes in the future."
With that, he bowed deeply to me, then muttered something under his breath and hurried away.
As if afraid I might spoil it for him. Ahahaha, fortunately, I truly didn't know anything.
As for the vision I yearned for…
From beginning to end, there was only one.
I rejoined the girls who were waiting for me and expressed that it was getting late, that we should pick up the pace and head to the next area as soon as possible.
Perhaps they were tired from playing as well, since no one objected. Before long, as we hurried onward, we could see in the distance a passageway like the main gate of a castle.
And in front of the gate, an enormous pinball placed there abruptly.
"Ugh, this is," Momoi suddenly grew serious, "I have a premonition of a powerful enemy ahead…"
The moment her words fell, before Midori could even open her mouth to retort, a sudden change occurred.
Brilliant fireworks blossomed. Atop the city gate, behind the illuminated sign reading "UTOPIA", a vague black shadow poked out its head, two cold glints flashing.