Barghest floated through as she idly looked around searching for the next trial. Matsumi followed closely behind, touching his new acquired clothing on his arms and chest. Still fascinated by it.*l
"…Wait a second Matsumi. Kurai isn't with us…There's something else going on…"
"Huh? What do you mean? She was right-"
He turned around to look for her.
"…behind me. Where did she go?"
Barghest and Matsumi were on a street, one that was akin to the ones they walked in Yoshiwara. Barghest began to grow suspicious, not just suspicious but she had full on skepticism. Normal people walked the streets as if they never started to climb the tower. As if they were back home all of a sudden.
"This doesn't look like an open space for the trial, but I'm sure we didn't leave…What are all these people doing in the Tower?"
"Matsumi! Matsumi!"
The familiar voice called out to Matsumi as she approached. It was Vermelha in her normal attire. She ran toward him and stopped a few feet in front of the two.
"Hey! I didn't see you today. Is everything alright?"
"Vermelha?! You're here too?! I thought you were taken away!"
He got closer to her excitedly.
"What? Taken away by who?.."
Vermelha looked at him with a look of concern, even placing her palm on his forehead.
"Are you feeling alright? You just saw me this morning…Is that why you skipped school?"
"By the blue haired man! You had to use the bathroom but then you never came back because you got kidnapped!"
"Blue haired man? Bathroom? What are you talking about?!…The only kidnapping that happened recently was that poor girl…I think her name was Heiwa. Luckily she was saved by the police a few hours later. That beach bandit gang is something. Running their operation…I hate them so much…"
"Heiwa? I took her with me after you left! The blue haired man wanted to get her too!"
"U-Uh Matsumi…Maybe we should go see a doctor…Or maybe you got around the wrong crowd. Have you been drinking?"
"Don't you remember? You even bought me something!"
"Uh…the last time we spoke we had breakfast together. It was Friday, and you were doing pretty good in your classes so I made you pancakes..after that you said you'd catch up with me to school..I didn't see you after that.."
"You didn't make pancakes…it was eggs and toast."
Matsumi looked down to her hands, looking for the ring they had both gotten.
The only person who still had their ring was Matsumi as she turned her head.
"Eggs and Toast?…Maybe you've got your days mixed up."
Barghest examined Vermelha before speaking to Matsumi.
"Matsumi..Vermelha has no mana at all. In fact, she has no power in her. She probably couldn't even beat you in her current state."
"Mana…?…."
"Where's your ring?"
It clicked in his head.
"What ring?"
Vermelha looked at him confused before looking at his hand.
"Hey, dont tell me you skipped class to go hang with some girl and she gave you that..Thats a serious thing you know!"
In a burst of disbelief, Matsumi pushed her away from him.
"What did you do with Kurai? You're the trial, aren't you?"
"W-What?! Matsumi!"
Vermelha was angry at his remark.
"She was at school today unlike you! Where have you been?! What's gotten into you?!"
"You're lying! I know you are!"
"Matsumi..it may be true that this is the trial. However, it may be true that Vermelha isn't lying. This seems like an alternate world..as if this isn't our home that we know but rather..something parallel to it with different things. Why would Vermelha lie about the breakfast and the ring?…Let's not forget the fact that theres been no mention of me in this world..and im someone who is pivotal to both of you guys lives."
"Hey Matsumi…Is this the girl you got the ring with?.."
Vermelha pointed to Barghest.
"I haven't seen her. Is she telling you I did something to Kurai..?"
"You were the one who got me the ring! The Tower must've put us someplace weird…"
"The Tower?…"
Vermelha looked at him with a sudden interest.
"Im not entirely sure what's going on…but if it's a tower thats making you act like this…Then Matsumi…Dont go to that tower anymore. Stay here....Forever."
"No, I have to make it to the top floor. I already promised."
"I don't want you too! Then you need to make a decision! Either you never see me again or you selfishly go back to that place that's giving you all these thoughts…I look at you..You're not the same as you were this morning…What is that wrapped around you? Who is this mysterious girl? What are you getting into?!"
Vermelha grabbed his hand, the one with the ring on it in specific.
"Just..stay here..Dont go anymore…Please?"
It almost got to him, but this wasn't his Vermelha. Because she'd never act like this toward him. Matsumi gave a glance over to Barghest, his eyes screaming the decision for him. He looked back at this Vermelha.
"If that trick would work on the Matsumi you know…he must be the most lame me I could think of!"
He stuck out his tongue at her.
"No way am I staying here!"
Vermelha looked at him for a split second before smiling.
"I knew you would never quit..that's the Matsumi I know."
Before she could say anything more, the world and her started to fade as the next door appeared.*
"Hm I see. The tower tested you with a trial through somebody who was close to you..If you submitted you would've stayed here forever and been trapped in a fake world forever..but you didn't, so they've given us the way to the next level."
"That was it? But where's Kurai?"
"I don't know. She could be on the next floor."
"Well…I don't want to move on to the next one without her. Shouldn't we look for her?"
Barghest looked around, her and Matsumi were in an empty white space with nothing but the door.
"It would be hard to do that..you underestimate her..I think it'll be alright."
"You're right, you're right. Let's hope she doesn't get lost then."
Barghest entered the door, heading to the next floor.