𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒
(4)
When she saw the upside-down destination, it didn’t seem so far away, but the path of light in the darkness seemed endless.
How long have I been walking?
As she began to lose sensation in her limbs and consciousness became hazy, Tweney felt a sensation of passing through something akin to an air membrane.
Suddenly, everything brightened.
ㅤ
“I’m back. Come greet me!”
ㅤ
Tweney slowly lifted her head.
A refreshing breeze brushed against her cheek.
She found herself by a beautiful spring, reflecting the sky like a mirror. In the middle of the spring was a floating island with a large tree, having a silver trunk and transparent leaves, firmly rooted.
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“Ah. . . . . .”
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Suddenly, all strength left Tweney’s body, causing her to fall to her knees. As she struggled to rise, Funyapippi comforted her.
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“Peppoko, you did well. Leave the rest to me.”
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With a series of eerie sounds, the ground around her began to swell. Emerging were figures resembling stone statues.
There were about ten of them.
With large heads and stout bodies, and two arms. From the waist down, they seemed to be merged with the ground. They were about one and a half times the size of a person. While they all looked similar, subtle differences existed in the position of their eyes, shape of their mouths, and surface patterns.
The stone figures gathered around Tweney and began to dance in a frenzied manner.
Tweney felt a sense of déjà vu watching them.
ㅤ
“Hurry, take them away!”
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As Funyapippi let out an irritated cry, the stone figures stretched up, lined up, and began to move.
The scenery started to shift.
No, that’s not it. Tweney realized that they were the ones moving, not the surroundings.
There was neither vibration nor friction. It felt like they were gliding over the ground.
The formation headed straight towards the spring, then took a sharp turn. Funyapippi was thrown off but managed to cling onto the head of one of the stone figures.
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“Hey, be careful!”
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The journey continued for a while and then abruptly stopped.
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“Whoa!”
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It seemed they had circled around half of the spring. The scenery hadn’t changed, but a root from the silver giant tree extended like a bridge from the floating island to the edge of the spring.
From the floating island, six bands of light flew towards them, curving in the air. As the bands of light landed in front of them, they transformed into human figures.
They were all females, ranging from their early teens to mid-twenties. Dressed in simple white robes, extravagant dresses, and some even in men’s attire. They didn’t appear to be ordinary people. All of them were semi-transparent and softly glowing.
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[Hey, I thought we were in real trouble this time.]
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The thought directly echoed in the mind.
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[Welcome to our “miniature garden.” The seventh Star Princess, huh? Wait━━]
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A woman in a white robe, about to greet, tilted her head in confusion.
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[The spirits seem quite noisy.]
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Even though these women were mysterious, if they were at the destination, they probably weren’t enemies.
With that thought, Tweney bowed her head.
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“Please, help Luo.”
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Seeing Tweney in her immobile state, the other women seemed agitated.
A woman in an extravagant dress approached hastily.
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[Are you alright? Please, stay with us.]
“Number Two, quiet.”
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Funyapippi, who had been lying on the ground, jumped onto the head of a stone figure and instructed.
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“He’s been affected by dark energy. Quickly drain it.”
[Lord Horned Lion? Is that you?]
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A woman in a luxurious dress placed both hands on her cheeks.
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[What on earth is happening?!]
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◇
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Stone figures dance around Luo, who lies on the ground.
After Funyapippi explained the situation, the women were in an uproar. However, a woman in a white robe seemed preoccupied, observing the dancing stone figures with folded arms.
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[Hmm, it’s rare for them to be so active. They should be indifferent to humans.]
[Sorcier-oneesama, that’s not the point.]
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The woman in the luxurious dress appeals with a serious look.
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[How long has it been since the “Red Wave” started?]
[About five months. It’s more than two months later than the worst previous time.]
[How foolish!]
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Suddenly, a woman dressed as a man shows her anger.
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[The royal family and the church must have fought for their own greed, wasting the feelings of us Star Princesses!]
[Aroma]
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A woman with curly hair gently held the hand of the woman dressed as a man.
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[Seto-sama]
[Now is not the time.]
[Right.]
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The youngest-looking of the six, a girl in her early teens, agreed. She looked concernedly at Tweney, who was sitting near Luo.
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[She’s even younger than me and so exhausted.]
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The woman in the luxurious dress nodded.
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[For now, let’s let our precious “sister” rest.]
[Agreed. Then, I will. . . . . .]
[No, Mildy.]
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The youngest girl raised her hand, but was rejected.
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[Taking care of the current generation is the job of the previous one. That’s the rule, Ophelia.]
[Understood, Vengeous-onee-sama.]
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A woman with tied-up hair approached Tweney and conveyed with kindness.
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[Little Star Princess, he’s fine. The spirits of the earth are working hard to remove the poison. So, you should rest a bit too.]
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Tweney shook her head, refusing. She still held the hand of Luo, who lay facing upwards and showed no sign of moving.
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[Yes, he. . . . . ..]
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The woman with tied-up hair had a sad smile.
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[He’s very important to you, isn’t he?]
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The stone figures stopped dancing. Luo’s condition remained unchanged. Funyapippi approached Luo and closely inspected his face. Luo mumbled something.
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“He’s waking up.”
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When she pushed his cheek with a forepaw, Luo slightly opened his eyes.
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“Hmm.”
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Sitting up and scratching his cheek, he yawned just before Tweney hugged him.
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“Luo!”
“Oh dear.”
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Luo, still seeming groggy, looked around while stroking Tweney’s head.
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“Ah, it’s “Ishigami-sama”.”
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As if celebrating Luo’s recovery, the stone figures wiggled. The woman in the white robe seemed intrigued again, but after being prompted by the woman in the luxurious dress, she cleared her throat.
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[Both of you are safe, and that’s a relief. Welcome to the “miniature garden”. You both must be curious about who we are. I, too, want to know about you. I’d like to start with introductions.]
“Leave it to me.”
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It’s natural for mutual acquaintances to facilitate meetings. While riding atop a stone statue’s head, Funyapippi proudly introduced.
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“These two are Luo and Peppoko. The six here are from “Number One” to “Number Six”!”
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