Volume 11 Chapter 9 The Bewildering Circus
When Ice suddenly looked up, she noticed that Wade, Sandra, and Renril had disappeared.
"...Wade-kun? Everyone...?"
Looking around in confusion, she called out their names. Then, Rollo, who had been clinging to Ice from behind, said:
"I see now~. I thought it was just strange talk, but that’s what it was~."
"Rollo-chan, do you know something...?"
"Hmm? It’s not that I know, more like... how should I put it..."
Rollo seemed unsure how to answer, shaking her head back and forth as if she were a baby with no neck control.
"Anyway, master, Sandra-sama, and even big brother are safe~. But it might be dangerous if you hurry~? ...Oh, there it is. That’s it, Ice-sama~♡."
Ice looked in the direction Rollo was pointing. There, a sign was posted.
The sign read:
'At the circus, go see what you want to see! Don’t worry about your friends!'
Ice fell silent as she read it. Rollo giggled, "Heehee~♡."
"See, the rules are written there~? So, that’s why Rollo and the others are like that. So..."
Receiving Rollo’s provocative gaze, Ice replied:
"―――Wade-kun and Renril-san are still here."
"Correct~! Though you won’t know right now. Master moves quickly, so he might have already started looking for everyone~?"
Ice thought. Rules. Rules that apply only to the circus. The conclusion is drawn.
"...So, Rollo-chan. Could it be that the circus..."
"Hmm?"
Ice said with conviction.
"Is it true that... we're trapped in a Domain Control...?"
"...Hehe, that's amazing, isn't it~? Even the Sea God we summoned in the Slum is no match for this enormous Domain Control~."
Rollo covered the entire circus with a flourish.
Ice was speechless with fear.
A Domain Control that surpasses even the gods. It's something that can be constructed in a matter of years. Is it possible for a single Demon to achieve that?
Rollo said.
"But maybe we got separated because of some underlying rule~. If not, that signboard wouldn't be there~."
Rollo denied her own speculation with a "no."
"That's not it~. Maybe the signboard itself is a trap~? Even if we didn't recognize it, everyone saw it, and that's why we're in this situation~..."
Ice felt that Rollo's analysis was getting close to the truth of this inexplicable situation. If possible, Ice wanted to let them continue.
But hell wasn't that kind.
"Rollo-chan."
"Ice-sama, just wait a bit more~..."
"No, look around."
"Eh? ...Whoa! ♡."
There were clowns holding curved swords and axes gathered around Ice and the others.
When they noticed, the surroundings had become as dark as midnight, and all the other passersby had disappeared.
"This is bad, isn't it~? Ahh! ♡ Protect me, Ice-sama!"
"We have to escape quickly, Rollo-chan...!"
The sound of a bell echoed from a tall clock tower standing near the center of the circus. It was the sound of a bell striking midnight.
The clowns, trying to get rid of the remaining audience members (Ice and Rollo), attacked them.
"Ice, create!"
Ice quickly created an ice soldier and cleared a path. The clowns and the ice soldier clashed, and the two of them ran through the chaos.
But no matter where they went in the circus, there were clowns everywhere. Ice constantly created ice soldiers, shouting "Ice, create!" and fended off the clowns.
"Rollo-chan...! Which way was the exit, I wonder...!"
"Huh? Now that you mention it, the scenery around us has changed~, hasn't it? Has the entire landscape been altered~?"
"...Then!"
Ice created a giant ice bird and boarded it with Rollo. The ice bird flew high and fast, soaring into the sky.
But the numerous clowns on the rooftops shot the ice bird with crossbows, and it fell from the sky, hit by arrows from all directions.
Ice used the ice bird as a cushion to break their fall, and they landed safely on the ground with Rollo. They quickly got up and tried to escape again, but the clowns were closing in.
Ice thought of various things in an instant and shielded Rollo, protecting them.
* * *
I ran around, shouting the names of the three of them for a while after that.
"Damn it, they're nowhere to be found...!"
I gritted my teeth and wiped away sweat, convinced that this was no ordinary case of getting lost.
But what should I do? There were no signs or clues, and the three of them had vanished into thin air. It was as if we had been hit by an attack that turned everything upside down. That's what I should be thinking.
At that moment, the distant clock tower rang out with a "Gong... Gong...", and I looked up to see that the clock was already pointing to noon.
"...What's going on? Is it already noon? We came to the circus around 9 am, and there's no way 3 hours have passed."
Right then, I felt something was off, like something was "wrong". I didn't know what exactly, but it was as if the very act of doing things was "wrong" and――
"Hey there, Wade! Long time no see! ☆."
Just then, a cheerful voice echoed from right in front of me, and I looked up.
"...Kyrie. And the two of you."
Klainatzirks. It had been a while since I'd seen those 3 demons before we infiltrated the slums yesterday.
The 3 of them were performing an act in one corner of the circus square. Kyrie was holding up a giant, Gand, with just one finger, and on top of Gand, Gand was juggling with wolf-like humanoid Lillu.
...I'd heard they were part of the circus, but I didn't expect them to be this good at their act.
Even as I was surprised, I felt relieved to be reunited with my friends. For some reason, I felt at ease with the presence of those 3.
Just then, Lillu the wolf-like humanoid girl did a backflip and landed on the ground before approaching me with a suspicious look.
"...Do you remember my name?"
"Huh? Isn't it Lillu?"
"Do you remember mine?"
"Gand."
Gand, the giant with scales on his cheek, asked me as he did another backflip and landed. I answered him normally.
Then, the two of them looked delighted.
"What's going on, did you remember?"
"We thought for sure you'd forgotten again, saying things like 'two of you'..."
"No, it's only natural."
And with that, I wasn't in the mood for small talk anymore.
"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt. Can you help me out a bit?"
I asked with a serious face, and Kyrie responded with interest, "What's going on? What's wrong?" Fortunately, the audience quickly lost interest and moved on to the next attraction.
I was thinking about how to convey the sense of urgency, and I explained the situation.
"We all came to the circus together, but then I realized we got separated."
"Isn't getting separated pretty normal?"
"No way. I was keeping an eye out for anything weird, but we still got separated."
The three of them looked at each other at my explanation, and I felt a sense of desperation.
They don't know about my abilities, so saying "I was keeping an eye out" doesn't quite convey the right message.
I gritted my teeth. Kyrie said,
"I get it. That's pretty bad."
"...Huh?"
"I mean, it's probably already midnight for some people. What do we do?"
Gand responded to Kyrie's question.
"Wade is strong. We should just teach him and have him go at midnight."
"Ah, Wade, how many people got separated?"
"Yeah, Sandra's currently in the mirror dungeon, and Ice, Rollo, and Renril suddenly vanished."
"You went into the mirror dungeon?! That's crazy! We have to help that person too!"
"No, Sandra is strong, so she's fine. We should worry about Ice and Rollo. Renril might be in danger, but he can probably handle it on his own."
"Alright, I got it. I'll send Wade out late at night, and Kyrie will go with him. Gand, keep an eye on the mirror dungeon. Lillu, find a person named Renril who's lost, but not in danger."
"Got it." "Understood, leader."
The three of them quickly communicated and agreed on a plan. Gand and Lillu scattered, leaving only Kyrie in front of me.
"Okay, Wade. Listen carefully. Everything Kyrie says from now on is true, so don't doubt it. Just swallow it whole or think about it and understand."
"O-okay."
I nodded. Kyrie said:
"'The circus is under Chiero's Domain Control. This Domain Control refuses to be understood. If you try to understand it, you'll reach a point where it's midnight, and that's where the murderous pierrots will trap and kill you for sure.'"
Right after Kyrie finished speaking, the sound of a bell echoed again: "Gong... Gong..."
Before I knew it, the surroundings had turned into midnight, and the clock tower was pointing to 0 o'clock.
There were countless pierrots standing around us, all holding weapons. I muttered, "I see," as I understood the situation.
"So that's how it is. The clock tower's time isn't the real time, but a measure of how deep you understand the Domain Control. The demons who lived here for a long time disappeared because they understood it too well and couldn't escape."
"That's right~☆ So, shall we go save them?"
"No, this is enough."
"Huh?"
If I can see them, they're no longer my enemies. I simply ordered all the pierrots in this time and place:
"Object Weight Increase."
All the Pierrots sank into their own weight, increased by Weight Increase. They crumpled to the ground, completely unable to move.
Kyrie was left speechless, staring at the sight. "Ugh... This is, um, Wade, seriously...!? "
I said with a guilty expression.
"Sorry about that. There were various circumstances, and I was hiding my full strength. Anyway, let's quickly go find Ice and Rollo."
I started walking. Kyrie followed me, still looking confused, saying "Uh, yeah..."
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