Chapter 84: Exchanging Information
While sitting and talking, a familiar silhouette suddenly appeared.
The two Ayakas, who were sitting, immediately noticed and raised their heads to turn over.
It was an Airi, her two legs were still placed on the steps. But her body froze, eyes wide when seeing two Ayakas sitting in front of her.
Ayaka B, voice very surprised:
"Airi?"
Airi had regained her calm, she let out a long sigh and asked as if going straight to the issue:
"What are you guys doing here? Searching for rooms?"
The two Ayakas were a bit surprised at that question.
Ayaka A nodded:
"Right, and we were talking to each other for a bit."
Airi was slightly surprised, she sat down right next to Ayaka B and let out a long sigh.
Her voice was calm as if too used to it:
"I see, so what information do you have already?"
Ayaka B handed Airi two slightly wet books. Airi was quite surprised, looking at Ayaka B then at the books, she reached out her hand and took them, placing them in her lap.
She picked up the book from the initial room and stared at it.
"I have read this one already."
Finished speaking, she picked up the remaining book and held it out in front, the two Ayakas also followed with their eyes.
"Then which book is this one?"
Ayaka B, voice normal:
"It is the book of room number two, it is the most important book of that room."
Airi was a bit surprised and stared at the book in front of her. Then turned over.
"Really?"
Ayaka B nodded slightly.
"Um."
Ayaka A sitting on the other side quickly spoke:
"We had quite a bit of difficulty finding it."
Airi nodded in understanding. She slowly opened the book and began to read.
"I see, your reading is still poor so it's a bit hard indeed."
The two Ayakas could only force a smile when Airi said that.
Ayaka B: "Read it, then try to think."
Ayaka A stood up and walked to the other side then sat to the left of Airi.
Airi noticed but continued reading.
…
After a while of reading, she closed the book, her expression still quite calm.
"So that is it, very useful information, thanks."
Ayaka A peered close to Airi and asked:
"So what do you think?"
Airi calmly replied:
"Looking at it, it's clear we need to seal that monster."
Ayaka B nodded.
"Right, we thought so too."
Airi let out a long sigh as if quite tired, she propped both hands back on the support, face tilted up slightly and looked toward the distance, where the houses were only black shadows.
"Truly hard, if there is a slip-up, it's over immediately. I also don't know who is real, who is fake anymore. But anyway, same goal, right?"
The two Ayakas also followed the direction Airi was looking, faces a bit pensive.
Ayaka A spoke:
"Anyway, it's not causing harm."
Airi as if remembering, she took the piece of paper tucked in her waistband and held it up, making both Ayakas pay attention.
"Very useful information, so do you guys have this yet?"
The two Ayakas were quite bewildered when looking at the paper in Airi's hand.
Ayaka A: "What paper is that?"
Ayaka B bewildered: "Is there a next clue?"
Airi remained calm and opened the paper for both to see.
Ayaka B tilted her head in confusion.
"4 - 0 = wait. 4 - 4 = go? What does it mean?"
Ayaka A: "Doesn't seem to be a subtraction."
Airi nodded.
"I know that too. According to what I think, this trial needs us to wait for more people if a room is empty, and if it's full, then leave and find another room that is empty."
Both Ayakas nodded as if understanding.
Airi continued speaking:
"I'm not sure, but the possibility is the trial needs us to seal the monster as the first thing. The second possibility is: one room just seals like that, or it's an empty room then gradually having enough people before being allowed to seal. Roughly, it must be people coming in from the outside to be counted."
Finished speaking, she turned to both sides several times and looked at both, checking reactions and said:
"What do you two think?"
Ayaka A nodded, feeling it was also very reasonable.
"Sounds truly reasonable, I think the possibility of the condition having to be people from the outside coming in to be counted is most reasonable."
Ayaka B nodded in agreement.
"Right, that is why the trial is hard."
"The hard part is finding an empty room and waiting. Usually most rooms have people already available. Finding a lacking room sounds truly hard..."
Ayaka A interrupted Ayaka B's sentence:
"But at my house then, we were chased and all ran out to the outside once."
Ayaka B still calmly nodded.
"I see, but I think most are unconsciously going outside. Being completely vacant will probably be very hard."
Airi let out a tired sigh.
"Very difficult, suddenly I thought what if there are many of us like this. Could it be that all rooms must perform sufficiently before being able to escape outside?"
Both Ayakas sank a bit, the feeling of anxiety increased if the condition was truly like that, then it would be very harsh.
Ayaka B spoke:
"Hope it is not so. I wonder if those who know should go and notify the rest?"
Ayaka B and Airi also found it quite reasonable and nodded.
Airi: "Possibly."
Ayaka A sighed.
"Then I don't know how many houses there are? Looking straight down the road it's as if the houses are endless."
Airi sighed and looked far toward the end of the horizon, where there were only black clouds and lightning flashing from the distance.
"I feel so tired, now thinking back I probably had to go through a hundred rooms already. Don't know when it will end."
The two Ayakas opened their eyes wide when hearing Airi speak. Both were extremely surprised at Airi's estimated quantity.
Ayaka A said with a voice of disbelief and wanting to reconfirm:
"Are you serious?"
Airi nodded, voice calm, but her breaths were very long, showing her fatigue.
"Right, some rooms were lacking me, some were already full, some rooms I witnessed them all being killed clean, then looped again. I have looked at your faces and my own too many times."
The two Ayakas' complexions sank, also understanding that Airi had to go a great deal.
Airi continued: "I've bathed in the rain who knows how many times, getting dry or nearly dry, then wet again."
Ayaka B reached out her hand slowly and deliberately and grabbed Airi's hand while she was looking into the distance.
Quite surprised and turning to look at Ayaka B, but she didn't know what to say, also alert, but seemingly not worth mentioning.
Ayaka, voice gentle:
"Keep it up, we will definitely escape."
Ayaka A sitting on the other side saw that. She also reached out her hand and grabbed Airi's remaining hand.
Airi was very surprised and turned rapidly looking at both. But then she still smiled gratefully.
"Thanks."
Suddenly, Airi stood up abruptly, releasing her hands. Her eyes were more determined looking down at the two Ayakas who were quite surprised when Airi suddenly stood up.
"Time to go, you guys."
The two Ayakas also stood up and looked at Airi.
Airi continued:
"Goodbye."
Ayaka A spoke first.
"Okay, good luck."
Ayaka B nodded.
"Hope that when escaping I meet you."
Airi nodded slightly and decisively stepped down onto the brick surface outside with a strong step, bypassing the two steps below. She disappeared from the sight of both Ayakas. Merging into the dense rainwater and darkness.
The two Ayakas gazed forward for a while... then turned to look at each other, seemingly still wanting to stay a bit longer.
But then they also were determined, both simultaneously nodded, together stepped down below and merged into the torrential rain.
…
Ayaka at this time, while walking was a bit sad.
"Sigh, didn't expect to have a conversation with myself and some Airi. Truly useful."
"Alright, I feel the time is almost here. Let's start acting."
…
Stepping near a house, she was silent and looked at it for a pensive interval. Then decisively stepped in, leaving the rain and thunder sounds behind.
Approached the house, looked into the door crevice.
But inside there were already enough four people, she was silent and turned away, stepped out into the rain and continued on. She no longer covered her head with the two books, feeling that doing so was better than not covering, holding for long so her hands were also quite weary.
…
After a long while, she was still walking outside in the rain, body exhausted, each step as if carrying a boulder behind her back, extremely heavy.
"Had I known I would have stayed in the old room, then waited for some more people to enter. Now searching outside forever and not finding any room lacking me."
Let out a long sigh.
"Hope that there is no mandatory requirement, just having four people is enough."
Stepping to a house, she went up bluntly without hesitation, footsteps stomping on the loose wood surface making it "creak" but it was drowned out by the loud rain sound.
Peered inside but there was no one, but a loud sound rang out, breaking the silence without human voices of the room. Seemed that was Airi's voice:
"Where is Ayaka? She disappeared?"
Ayaka standing outside rejoiced radiantly, she threw the two books out into the rain and slowly pushed the door inside. She entered silently, no one was there. Seems they were in the room. She slowly sat down on the chair.
SLAM!!!!
The room door was opened violently. Ayaka sitting below also was slightly startled and turned up to pay attention.
Takeshi stepped outside, he still looked back and said:
"So that is it."
They walked near the railing, and opened their eyes wide noticing Ayaka sitting below and looking up.
Takeshi, voice loud and quite surprised:
"Ayaka?"
Elyssia was also very surprised:
"What are you doing down here, Ayaka?"
Ayaka was asked, she just smiled first then spoke. Showing that she was still normal and as fine as possible.
"So lucky, they just looped, this way is easy."
"I don't know, when I woke up I found my body completely wet and was lying on the table and sleeping here."
The three above began to go down, eyes still quite surprised as Ayaka was below.
Airi while going down the stairs, spoke:
"I see, I understand. In the paper it was also recorded that you went outside and weren't seen returning. Seems like the trial does not allow going outside, and when you go out, you are forced back inside."
Ayaka also felt glad when Airi deduced in an inaccurate direction, making it easier for her to blend in. Her voice a bit surprised:
"Really?"
The three at this time sat at the table and looked at each other.
Takeshi also nodded seeing Airi spoke quite correctly.
"Seems so."
Elyssia: "So do you remember anything outside?"
Ayaka shook her head, face appearing bewildered.
"I don't."
Elyssia nodded, she took out paper and pen and began to record carefully the new information.
Ayaka followed with her eyes without saying anything. She felt that if based on what she already knew, then writing on paper now was useless. It was simply like something to distract.
Airi looked at Ayaka and said as if remembering:
"Ah, in the paper that Elyssia took from her person, it was also recorded this is our 60th memory erasure. Still circling the simple details, nothing new at all. All either getting killed or going through the man's house and getting killed by him."
Ayaka nodded as if understanding, she showed a bit of surprise, to avoid suspicion.
"So that is it? Doesn't sound good? We seem to have been here for a very long time. Although don't remember clearly, but if it continues like this, we will be stuck in here forever."
Takeshi nodded, hand pointing to the stairs, where there was a small crevice and the door leading to the tunnel.
"Over there, in the paper there is a crevice and it leads to the house of the man who killed us in many previous times. We were also only warned not to get near the seal."
Ayaka appeared surprised, eyes wide at the new information.
Airi spoke for Takeshi: "If it's true, I don't understand what we did in the previous 60 times. But we also just filtered the information, Elyssia then dropped a bunch of papers from her person, looked truly chaotic."
Ayaka glanced around the room once at the simple things.
"I've grasped it. So seems we need to explore that basement then."
Elyssia finished writing, she stowed the pen and paper in her shoe. She spoke with a quite certain voice:
"Seems so. But the problem is I am quite afraid of being led by the nose by the trial, what if we are tricked to dangerous places? Moreover, we are very weak, this is quite worth mentioning."
Takeshi and Airi also felt it was quite reasonable and nodded along, Ayaka naturally did the same.
Airi pointed to the room next to the initial room where they appeared, making all three sitting pay attention.
"Though in the paper it said that room has nothing. But who knows? We should try checking it out."
Takeshi: "Yeah, that's okay. We will see that room, then try seeing the room after, to ensure having the most information possible."
Ayaka sat still and thought:
"Have to see that room again? So boring, but I still must try to appear as my most normal self."
Elyssia pointed toward the door, voice lowering:
"We must find quickly, because the knocking sound will appear before long, and that man will kill us, though not clear why. But I think, when we see if the room above has anything or not, then go down to the basement and examine."
Airi nodded.
"There's also the young boy, although not clear why they are chasing and killing each other. But surely there will be a reason, and we need to find it and will gradually move toward the answer of the trial."
Takeshi pointed up to the ceiling and spoke:
"Could it be later we have to climb up to the ceiling and observe? Sounds crazy difficult, don't understand how they managed to climb up in the previous memory erasure."
Airi sighed, she also felt climbing up to the ceiling was exactly a very large challenge for them at the current time, when being very, very weak.
"Well, I think: should look from the tunnel out, because climbing up is very hard."
Elyssia nodded, as if having finished deciding.
"Okay, then decided like that. We will hide in the basement to take cover."
Takeshi felt not okay when just remembering what he had read in the paper. He frowned slightly and spoke:
"But if so then how do we help that boy. Being under the basement when moving up is very far, also can cause noise."
Elyssia also knew that, but currently it sounds very difficult.
"I know that." Finished speaking, she pointed to the ceiling and successfully drew attention.
"But you try to see, that high then how the hell do they climb down without making noise?"
Ayaka chipped in: "Maybe they had some way already, for now I can't think of any."
Takeshi sighed understanding how difficult going down was.
"Sounds quite hard, right?"
He spoke with a discouraged voice:
"Same as us, but don't know each other's ways. Then we will use the old way of covering it up."
Airi suddenly spoke loudly, making all three pay attention and turn over:
"That's enough talking, I think should go see what's in that room."
Elyssia nodded, she also felt it was time, then stood up.
"Right, should see if there's anything there first."
Elyssia leaving her seat was also when everyone stood up. All four slowly walked up the stairs... then along the hallway.
Takeshi while walking said: "Hope to meet something useful, if there's nothing or something dangerous it's over."
Airi's face was calm to the point of emotionless, her voice spoke not fast, not slow, but very cold:
"You just keep praying."
Standing before the room, all four stood silent and prepared to welcome whatever was inside. Airi turned back and saw Elyssia was prepared to write. She slowly opened the door.
All four were quite surprised when the inside was very similar to the room next door, the room they had been in.
Takeshi standing right next to Airi was a bit surprised:
"Why so similar? Wrong room?"
Takeshi quickly stepped inside first before the three girls and saw the whole room.
The three girls also stepped in immediately after.
Elyssia stood in the middle of the room, she was prepared to write if anything happened in the fastest way.
"Everyone, try finding to see if there is anything useful here?"
…
After a while of searching, all four found nothing, a bit disappointed.
Airi stood with hands on hips beside the bed and glanced around the room once more as if to confirm or because of some feeling.
"Seems like there is nothing here."
Takeshi and Ayaka stood near the door and sighed at the same time.
Takeshi felt quite disappointed at not harvesting anything.
"Well, I think should go down to the basement. Now time will be quite precious."
Ayaka nodded.
"Right."
Airi turned and walked past Elyssia who was writing.
On the paper it was recorded quite emphatically to reconfirm: The room next door has nothing, already checked.
Finished writing, she turned and followed outside.
All four walked along the hallway and stepped down the stairs.
Airi while walking, conveniently grabbed the stick with the glowing stone that was clipped on the stair railing.
"Take the glowing stones, probably dark down there."
Ayaka while walking also reached for one. Takeshi also grabbed one.
Takeshi turned back and observed, saw Airi and Ayaka already had glowing stones, but Elyssia did not. He was quite curious and asked:
"You're not holding a stick, Elyssia?"
Elyssia while walking, she saw Takeshi asking so she shook her head.
"I'm not, I'm an angel. I don't need a glowing stone because my eyes can see."
Going down below. Takeshi was quite curious.
"Your eyes can see?"
Elyssia nodded, patiently explaining:
"We angels see darkness as light."
Airi walking beside also chipped in:
"It's that she sees night as day."
Ayaka and Takeshi were quite surprised at the new information.
They turned into the small crevice at the stairs and looked inside.
Takeshi pointed inside and said:
"Then let's start." Finished speaking, he began approaching.
The girls also followed immediately after.
Takeshi gripped the edge of the door without a handle. A rough and uncomfortable feeling transferred to his hand, but he didn't care and pulled it toward himself.
The glowing stone in hand also lit up a part of the inside.
Takeshi alert and turned back:
"Go slowly."
He stepped inside, hand tightly gripping the wooden stick with the glowing stone head.
Held it out in front of his face and saw steps leading down not deeply.
They stepped down below following each steep stair. The light rose and fell with each of their steps.
…
In front of them was a quite dark road and couldn't see ahead. Seemed quite far, light from the glowing stone only illuminated a small part. This made them feel further worried as ahead was darkness and didn't know what would be in front of them. Their minds at this moment were squeezed tight, extremely tense.
Airi walking beside Takeshi, she glanced at Takeshi and saw he was a bit worried. Glanced away and said:
"Don't worry, this seems to be just a normal passage leading to the basement."
Takeshi turned over, a bit calmer. He lifted his foot and stepped further forward.
All four walked in the enclosed space, ahead was darkness, quite worried. But then before them appeared a crude wooden door.
Seeing they had arrived, they felt quite joyful.
Takeshi turned back and said with a careful voice, a bit lower:
"I'll open it."
Elyssia standing behind nodded.
Takeshi turned back and opened the door slowly. But in front of them were several large wooden crates stacked high up to the ceiling.
Takeshi was a bit confused and stepped forward, he saw to the right was a path. Just like that he entered.