Chương 132: Arc 4: Experience the Story - Chapter 10
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Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.
The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
"Speech"
Arc 4: Experience the Story - Chapter 10
"Talk! Who sent you?!" Ruby screamed, her eyes wide and wild, a manic edge in her voice. Her fingers twitched slightly as though barely containing the impulse to act.
"Or, more importantly, why have you approached us?" Weiss asked coldly. She wore the perfect mask of the Ice Queen, her posture regal and unmoved by the mess around her.
"Does she really have to be tied up like that?" Octavia asked with unease. She glanced at the ropes holding the newcomer, her discomfort obvious as her eyes flickered nervously between Ruby and Weiss.
"Better her than me..." Yuri muttered under her breath, casting a sideways glance at the bound figure, her usual nonchalance only partially masking her unease.
I turned my attention to the newcomer, who, to my surprise, was none other than Mayuko Nise—another key figure from High-Rise Invasion. She was restrained in a way that seemed to draw more from an S&M scene than anything tactical or necessary. The tight knots wrapped around her body, highlighting a bizarre between her fierce, combative persona and the humiliating position she found herself in.
Mayuko tried to say something, but the gag muffled her words, reducing them to incomprehensible sounds. I couldn't help but wonder—was Ruby into S&M? The thought flashed through my mind as I looked at the intricate, almost excessive way Mayuko was tied up.
"You guys... she can't say anything if you gag her." Octavia sighed in frustration and concern. She leaned forward and carefully removed the gag, but as soon as she did, Mayuko snapped at her, teeth bared, nearly biting her fingers. Octavia flinched, pulling back quickly. "Alright, I see that me being nice isn't exactly appreciated." She narrows her eyes in annoyance. She dropped the gag to the floor, wiping her hands on her skirt with a hint of disgust before retreating further away from Mayuko.
"Like I'd believe a demonic-looking owl could ever be nice!" Mayuko shouted, her voice seething with anger. She glared fiercely at Ruby and Weiss, her eyes blazing with defiance. "Untie me and fight me fair and square!"
The whole scene felt surreal. I wondered if Mayuko had given much thought before knocking on the door so boldly, practically demanding entry. Then again, she probably didn't expect Ruby's wild reaction upon seeing her standing there alone, wielding nothing but a kitchen knife, as though it was enough to intimidate anyone. And, of course, there was the fact that Mayuko had tried to stab Ruby in the eye the moment the door swung open. That reckless move had sealed her fate the second she stepped inside.
"That's rich coming from someone who nearly stabs me in the eye!" Ruby snapped, her voice dripping with anger as she delivered a sharp slap across Mayuko's face. The sound of the impact echoed through the room, and Mayuko's head jerked to the side, but her glare remained.
"I say we should break a few fingers." Weiss interjected coldly, her arms folded beneath her chest as she fixed her icy gaze on Mayuko. "Let's see how long she can keep this tough act up." Her right foot tapping against the floor, a sign of her impatience, the subtle movements betraying her calm demeanor.
"I know a couple of curse spells if needed." Octavia added, her voice carrying a dark edge as she glared at Mayuko, clearly ready to take things further. The coldness in her eyes seemed to match the ominous power she hinted at.
"Don't you guys—" Yuri started, but she quickly cut herself off as three cold, unblinking stares turned on her, the room suddenly still as they fixed their gazes on her for that brief, tense moment. "Never mind, pretend I didn't say anything." She quickly looked away, retreating into silence, clearly not wanting to provoke the others further.
The tension in the room thickened, the cold threat of violence lingering in the air as Mayuko remained bound, glaring at the group with equal parts rage and determination. This wasn't going to end peacefully—not by a long shot.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, breaking the tense silence and causing everyone to turn toward it in disbelief.
"I swear, if it's someone else trying to stab me in the eye, I'm going to sacrifice this entire building—with everyone in it." Ruby growled under her breath, her patience clearly nearly nonexistence. She stomped over to the door, her footsteps heavy with frustration, and yanked it open, her expression hardening into a glare as she prepared for the worst. But then, her eyes widened in surprise.
We all tilted our heads in confusion, staring at the figure now standing in the doorway. It wasn't another deranged attacker, nor was it anyone we could have expected—it was a full-grown grizzly bear. And it looked... polite?
"Excuse me." The bear said in a shockingly gentle tone, though its deep voice. "I hope I'm not a bother, but you folks have been making quite a commotion, and I'm trying to sleep next door. If you don't mind, could you keep it down a bit? I don't mean to be rude, but I do need my rest. Gotta prepare for work tomorrow, you know."
For a moment, no one moved. We just stared. Ruby, usually quick with a retort, was visibly dumbfounded. "Uh... sure?" She finally managed to say, still in shock, as she stared up at the bear.
The bear smiled kindly, nodded, and turned to leave, walking calmly down the hallway. We all watched in stunned silence as he opened the door to the next room, walked in, and closed it behind him with a soft click.
The silence that followed was almost deafening.
I snapped my fingers, activating the Boundary Manipulation to turn the room into a soundproof barrier. The moment I felt the effects settle into place, I let out a breath, trying to process what had just happened.
"Okay, just to double-check." I began, looking around the room at everyone's equally stunned expressions. "Did anyone else see that grizzly bear, or am I still asleep and dreaming?"
"Nope, I saw it too." Octavia replied in disbelief. Her usual composed demeanor was shaken, and she was clearly just as thrown off as I was.
We exchanged glances, the bizarre encounter hanging over us like a fog of unreality. A talking grizzly bear, politely asking us to keep it down? It felt like the universe had momentarily glitched, and we were unsure what to make of it.
Never mind, it wasn't a glitch in reality. I could sense it—Glitching was quick to claim no part in this strange occurrence. Good to know.
"Do you think Featherine had anything to do with this?" Weiss asked, glancing around at everyone.
Before anyone could answer, a piece of paper suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slapped right onto Weiss' face. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw the large, bold letters spelling out a big fat "NO" across the paper.
Weiss peeled the paper off, her expression darkening with annoyance. The moment she let it fall from her hands, the paper vanished into thin air, fading as though it had never existed.
"Clearly, she's abusing her powers as a teacher." Weiss muttered, her right eyebrow twitching in irritation.
Mayuko opened her mouth, clearly gearing up to shout again, but before she could get a word out, Ruby appeared next to her in a blur, swiftly slapping a strip of duct tape across her mouth. Mayuko's eyes widened in frustration, but she was effectively silenced.
"Right." Ruby turned back to the group as though nothing unusual had happened. "I don't want to find out what happens if we make that bear mad. Sure, most of us could probably take it down if it came to a fight, but I'd really rather not, especially after the bear was so polite in asking us to quiet it down. Honestly, I just feel bad more than anything."
"I second that." Weiss nodded thoughtfully. "I have no idea what kind of world we've ended up in, but having a talking bear next door is making me rethink... a lot of things." She glanced at the door where the bear had disappeared. "And I, for one, don't want to see what happens once that bear stops being polite."
The room fell into a brief silence as everyone seemed to digest the strangeness of the situation, and for once, there was a shared sense of agreement—no one wanted to push their luck with that bear. Other than maybe Mayuko.
"Right, so the day's just getting started. How about we relax a bit before doing anything else?" I suggested to the group, casually ignoring Mayuko's futile attempt to kick me. With her still tied up, it was nearly impossible for her to move, let alone land a hit. Her struggles only caused her to tip over, falling awkwardly to her side with a muffled grunt.
Weiss took a few cautious steps away from Mayuko, eyeing her with a mix of disdain and caution. "Don't we need to relocate again? Considering we've got people actively trying to come here and deal with us."
Before I could respond, Ruby chimed in, her voice laced with curiosity. "Actually, Jin, can't you just make it impossible for them to reach us? I mean, you have more than one way to do that, don't you?"
She was right—I did have plenty of options. "Yup." I replied simply, snapping my fingers as I activated the Delayed Effect. Instantly, nearly everyone in the building—and in a few surrounding buildings—would be unable to find their way here, blocked by an invisible force, unless they wielded powers over space and time. If that happened, I'd have to consider more advanced measures. "There. We should be good for now unless we're dealing with someone who can manipulate space and time."
Mayuko still squirmed on the floor, glaring daggers at all of us through her bound state.
"And what exactly would we do to relax?" Octavia asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "If you haven't noticed, Jin, there's not much around here to entertain ourselves with."
Without a word, I snapped my fingers, using my Boundary Manipulation to open a gap in space. From the gap poured an assortment of things: board games, video game consoles, books, and more, forming a small but impressive pile in the center of the room.
Octavia glanced at the pile briefly, her interest piqued for a moment before her eyes shifted back to me. "...Could you get me a book on astronomy?"
"Sure." I said casually.
With another snap of my fingers, a thick book on astronomy materialized above her head. She caught it effortlessly.
"Thanks." Octavia said calmly as she walked over to a quiet corner and settled down to read.
"How about you girls?" I asked, glancing at Ruby, Weiss, and even Yuri, curious about how they'd want to spend their time.
Ruby's eyes practically gleamed as they locked onto the pile of items. "I've got an itch to see what I could get from sacrificing whatever I can get my hands on." She looks very excited, already scheming. I couldn't help but wonder what bizarre results that might bring, considering Ruby's unpredictable summoning.
Weiss, on the other hand, smirked mischievously. "I want you to hug me, Jin."
Yuri, however, looked exhausted, her voice nearly a plea as she sighed. "I just want a better bed. I want to sleep and forget about this crazy world, at least for a little while."
"Have it." I said to Ruby, shrugging off her eagerness with a hint of amusement.
With a swift motion, I pulled Weiss into a one-armed hug; she leaned into the embrace.
At the same time, I created another gap, a large mattress that dropped down right in front of Yuri. She didn't hesitate; as soon as it hit the floor, she fell onto it, sinking into the softness. It was as if she had found her sanctuary amidst the chaos and didn't care about anything else around her.
Mayuko continued making noise but was ignored by everyone.
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