A ticket could be obtained from a ticket holder through negotiation or coercion. Coercion wasn’t just about using words to manipulate; it could involve physical threats or psychological manipulation. Zeruel was the kind of woman who wouldn’t back down easily, so physical threats were unlikely. Since the incident occurred in the sanatorium, where Zeruel was most vulnerable, it was likely a psychological tactic. Whoever did this knew Zeruel had the ticket and had researched her weaknesses thoroughly. I had done my own research too, but instead of coercing her, I negotiated with her. I offered to help with her issues in exchange for the ticket.
Whoever these assholes were trying to snatch Zeruel’s ticket like this. Since Zeruel’s mother was in a coma there, she’d do everything to get out of that burning sanatorium with her. But it seemed whoever did this was blocking her way out.
I could’ve intervened, but… I glanced subtly behind me. There she was, finally revealing herself from her not-so-secret hiding spot. Isiliraiellyn, her left eye covered with an eyepatch, the other gleaming with excitement as she watched the flames engulfing the building, perhaps thinking this was her chance to play hero.
With theatrical flair, Isiliraiellyn dramatically removed her eyepatch, revealing her golden eye, and struck a chuunibyo pose. While her actions seemed dramatic to some, they only elicited cringes from me. After her pose, she declared, “With the power of my Eye, I will save those trapped inside!” before pointing dramatically at the burning building and sprinting toward it at full speed.
As she charged forward, those blocking the path of people trying to enter the building attempted to stop her. Ignoring their attempts, Isiliraiellyn charged straight ahead, leaping over them with a nimble backflip in midair. Landing gracefully on both feet with her arms outstretched, she turned to face them, mockingly sticking out her tongue and putting a finger near her eye. “Stupid!” she taunted before turning back and sprinting toward the building.
After a while, Isiliraiellyn managed to enter the building. She was certainly something. If not for her antics and behavior, she could have been seen as someone destined for great power, appreciated by many.
While I observed this, I noticed that Shredica had vanished from beside me. It seemed she wanted to join the action too. Well, perhaps I’ll just watch how things unfold from a safe distance.
***
Shredica’s POV
I stealthily crept toward the flaming building and slipped inside. The interior was scorching hot, the heat searing my skin. However, I paid it little mind. While I wouldn’t say I was accustomed to such intense heat, I had endured plenty of pain in the past, making this bearable to some extent.
As I made my way through the interior, the cries of children echoed in the halls. I hurried toward the source of the cries, but amidst the thick smoke and engulfing heat, pinpointing their exact location proved challenging. I strained my senses, but the smoke and crackling flames drowned out everything else. Unable to rely on my senses, I resorted to kicking down the doors of each room in search of the children.
As I focused on my task, a voice startled me from behind.
“Allow me to help!” she exclaimed, her urgency evident as she gestured toward another room. “There are children trapped behind that door!”
Recognizing her as the woman with the eye skill, though her name escaped me, I nodded in agreement. Her ability to sense the location of the trapped children hinted at the impressive range of her eye skill. Though I felt capable on my own, her assistance could prove invaluable in such dire circumstances. Following her lead, I kicked down the door with a swift, determined motion. The flames licked at my skin, sending searing heat coursing through my veins, but I gritted my teeth and pressed forward. Inside, the scene unfolded before me. Two girls, their faces contorted with fear and exhaustion, huddled together in the room. The older one, her expression strained with anguish, held the younger girl close, shielding her from harm. But even in her valiant efforts, the older girl had succumbed to the smoke-filled air, her body limp and unconscious against the infernal backdrop.
“Carry them up!” I instructed the woman. “And tell me the locations of those still trapped!”
She nodded, a strange excitement gleaming in her eyes. Despite the imminent danger and potential loss of life, her demeanor struck me as oddly enthusiastic. After divulging the locations of the remaining trapped individuals, she sprang into action, swiftly gathering up the two girls in her arms. As the youngest one tearfully expressed her gratitude, the woman dashed off. While her actions had undoubtedly been helpful, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her heroics were a bit exaggerated and theatrical…
With resolve, I set out to search for those still trapped inside. Along the way, I encountered numerous bodies scattered on the ground, charred beyond recognition. It was difficult to discern whether they could still be identified, given the extent of their charring. In my world, witnessing such scenes was a grim reality of everyday life. One misstep, and you could be reduced to ashes. Despite expecting this world to be comparatively peaceful, witnessing the carnage stirred up a strange sense of nostalgia within me. It was an unconventional trigger for nostalgia, but my world had been unforgivingly brutal, and strangely enough, I found solace in its harshness.
I kicked down doors left and right, guiding the trapped people to safety outside. The woman returned and joined me in the rescue efforts. After a while, as we nearly finished rescuing everyone, she set down a crying child and turned to me.
“There are two others on the last floor,” she informed me. “Be careful though. They’re strong. And one of them looks like they’re the culprit behind this.”
So she knew the identity and strength of the perpetrator, huh? “Your skill must be pretty powerful to know all that,” I remarked.
“Hmm? Oh no. My skill doesn’t see that far,” she clarified. “It only allows me to see a person’s status, nothing more. My Eye just happens to be that powerful.”
I was somewhat taken aback by her revelation, albeit mildly. So her skill didn’t have long-range vision capabilities? That meant her insight was just natural talent. This woman might prove to be quite useful to me in the future.
After contemplating, I returned to the burning establishment, now engulfed in flames with its structure beginning to crumble. It was astonishing how the building still stood despite the relentless inferno; perhaps they had exceptional engineering in this world too.
Eventually, I reached the top floor, where two figures stood—a woman with brown hair and a man with golden locks, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Hand it over, and I’ll let you pass,” the man demanded. “Otherwise, you’ll just perish in these flames like the worthless person you are. And your dear mother? Well, she’ll meet the same fate. The smart move is to give me the ticket. Then you can go free. Though I can’t promise your mother will survive without that magical implement keeping her alive. You can’t exactly carry her out with that with you, can you?”
“You bastard…” the woman snarled, her voice dripping with venom. I recognized her immediately; she was the one currently holding the second-highest rank in the gold class. Clasped in her arms was another woman with matching brown hair, connected to a large green gem by a network of tubes. The gem remained inside the room, while the tubes stretched just far enough to reach where she stood. Any sudden movement risked disconnecting the tubes.
I knew this woman’s mother was gravely ill, but the specifics of her condition eluded me. From their conversation, it was clear that the woman couldn’t afford to move too much, lest the tubes linking the green gem, a magical device keeping her mother alive, to her mother be severed. Even the slightest shift could mean her mother’s demise. That meant she couldn’t fight this man, even though she badly wanted to.
The man’s gaze bore into her with amusement, his eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of pleasure. “Ha ha ha! I like the fire in your eyes! It’s rather exhilarating!” he exclaimed, his voice laced with a dark amusement. “You know, I’ve been a fixture in this kingdom my whole life, always addressed with the title of Prince before my name. So, hearing the word ‘bastard’ directed at me, especially from a commoner like you, is quite the unexpected delight. If circumstances were different, I might have had you dispatched on the spot for such insolence.” Chuckling to himself, he continued, his tone turning dark and cold as he fixed his gaze on the woman once more. “My father, the King, he’s a man of grand gestures and empty promises, but he’s also a coward. That’s why, when I dared to request a ticket, he denied me. Perhaps fearing for my safety. But I’m desperate to partake in his game, and I’ll resort to any means necessary to obtain a ticket. Even if it means employing tactics as deplorable as this. You needn’t forgive me. You’re simply unlucky to be the most vulnerable target, for I know your weakness all too well. So, how about you hand it over already?”
As he spoke, the fire intensified around them, casting flickering shadows that danced across the scorched walls and floor.
