---o---
"I told you, I don't want to see any circus performance..."
"Oh, come on... You're already inside, so just stay a little longer. I promise there are no hidden fees."
Being pushed from behind by the strange girl, Mei felt completely ill at ease. Her body wanted to resist, but her heart was filled with a sense of helplessness.
She had thought about calling for help, but whenever she voiced a protest and drew the attention of the surrounding tourists, all she received were amused looks, as if they were watching a pair of "best friends" having a little squabble.
The reason was simple. Mei knew all too well how powerfully deceptive the girl with the split-dyed hair's smile was.
At this point, unless she screamed at the top of her lungs and accused the girl of being a kidnapper, she likely wouldn't get the attention she needed.
Just as Mei was contemplating this course of action, the force pushing her suddenly vanished, and the girl's exaggerated tone rang in her ears.
"Welcome, my lovely spectator! Allow me to introduce myself..."
"I am the greatest magician of this century, the creator of all escapology—Vill-V! Welcome—to my magic theater!"
Magic theater?
Hearing this, Mei temporarily suppressed her urge to call for help. Only now did she realize that, without noticing, she had been led deep into this so-called theater.
The crowd around her was still laughing and cheerful, but amidst the seemingly normal comings and goings of people, Mei could no longer find the path she had taken to get here.
"...Ma'am, whatever you're planning, I have to go."
Mei remained vigilant. Seeing that the woman made no strange moves, she took a small step back, her eyes scanning her surroundings before finally landing on a thick, long pole.
It was of a suitable length, much like a katana. It was the best weapon available to her right now.
As someone who had been kidnapped before, Mei ignored the strange looks from the people around her and reached out to grab it, assuming a defensive stance as she aimed it at Vill-V.
But her action was met with a peal of melodious laughter from Vill-V.
"It seems our guest is a little tense. But no matter, most people react this way upon our first meeting."
"People are always silent for a long time before they scream—a fact that very few people seem to notice."
What on earth is this woman talking about?
"Enough! I don't know who you are, but stop bothering me! Let me leave now!"
For no apparent reason, Mei felt a sudden chill from her surroundings, but she held her ground, refusing to let her gaze waver from Vill-V.
She was, however, making a grave mistake. As everyone knows, when a magic show begins, you should never keep your eyes fixed on the magician.
Yet Vill-V did nothing. She simply wore a faint, ambiguous smile and raised her hands above her head as if in surrender. "Fine, fine, I'll let you leave. But that's only on the condition that you can find the way back."
"After all, an audience that cannot quiet their hearts to watch the magic is of no use to me."
As she spoke, the tip of her shoe shifted slightly, as if she had stepped on something.
The movement was subtle and made no sound, so Mei failed to notice it.
"That's for the best. And I have no interest in your magic, anyway," Mei huffed, believing she was free to go. She began to back away, step by step, in the direction she had come from.
One step, two steps...
When Mei had retreated so far that she could barely see Vill-V, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to run, her escape now frantic and disoriented.
But as she ran, she was shocked to discover that the path she had come from had vanished. Even the exit that had just been there was now a solid wall.
"What's going on?"
Looking at the boisterous crowd around her, Mei was about to ask a passerby for help when she looked up and saw only a clown with a grotesque smile.
"Excuse me, do you know where the exit that was just here went?"
Although it was strange, Mei was in a state of panic, which was why she asked so anxiously.
Unexpectedly, her question received an answer, but it was not a comforting one.
"You want to leave?" The clown tilted its head, its heavily painted lips curling into a comical grin.
"I think you may have come to the wrong place, miss. This is the entrance, not the exit. If you wish to leave, you can either watch the performance until it ends, or you'll just have to find your own way out."
This is the entrance, not the exit?
Mei was stunned for a moment. Just as she was about to ask another question, she saw the clown bound away with a skip and a hop.
All around her, the seemingly normal passersby were now looking at her. The feeling of being stared at so intently sent a shiver of terror down Mei's spine.
Damn it! What is this situation?!
Mei's panic intensified. She gripped the wooden pole tightly and, in that moment, she fled, darting through the crowd like a headless fly in search of an exit.
And it was because of her panicked escape that she failed to hear the discussions among the actual customers.
"Hey... what's wrong with that young lady? Doesn't the ticket say the entrance will be closed early once the performance starts?"
"Yeah, I don't know. Maybe it's a special, unlisted act? I mean, this is the Helix Circus, after all."
"Oh, right. That mysterious ringmaster does like to play tricks during every show. Still, to be singled out by the ringmaster for a prank... she's pretty lucky."
"I know, right? I wish I had that kind of luck."
The people chattered amongst themselves, completely unaware that at the very top of the circus tent, the ringmaster they spoke of was holding a pair of binoculars, observing Mei with rapt interest.
Then, for just a moment, the smile on her lips flattened, and a cold voice, entirely different from before, spoke.
"Arch-Villain, are you taking this a bit too far?"
In the next instant, Vill-V's smile returned. "Am I? This is just a little bit of revenge and a small prank."
Her expression shifted constantly as two different vocal tones switched back and forth.
"But even as a prank, if word gets out that you were bullying Mei, don't you think it will make Li unhappy?"
"That's why I said I won't let word get out." 'Arch-Villain' Vill-V pouted and huffed confidently. "Besides, this barely qualifies as a practical joke. And didn't the other magicians tacitly approve?"
"Furthermore, I'm doing this to help Mei and that personality inside her to integrate better. Isn't that how we got through it, too?"
"..." The cool female voice seemed to be at a loss for words. After a long pause, it conceded with a sigh, "Fine. But don't go overboard. If I see things are getting out of hand, I will take control of the body directly."
"Yes, yes, I know, Expert. Since when did you become such a nagging mother?"
Author's Note: Next chapter, we enter the simulation, meow.
Concise, Essential, Cumulative Glossary (Updated with Vol. 4, Ch. 186)