"Put on this mask, don't act suspiciously around them."
She handed him a mask with a face that looked exactly like hers, black eyes wide open with a mouth─── lined with black horizontal lines.
"You are special, the illusion created will not affect you. Act as if nothing has happened."
I didn't quite understand what the pale-skinned woman was saying. However, I kept my questions to myself until the situation was safe. Just as she said.
I put on the mask she gave me, and sure enough! When we were about to leave, the school was running as usual. However, the school hallway was filled with the sound of the school bell.
It was time to go home.
Scared shitless, the corpses I had seen in the classroom began to disappear. Even the bloodstains on the door began to fade.
Focus, focus.
I tried to stop myself from screaming. The school hallway was no longer filled with people. Instead, it was filled with masked ghosts. It was crazy!
The ghosts were transparent, but their forms resembled humans. Their masks could change shape to match their facial expressions.
Smiling, anxious, afraid, and angry.
I was very scared, especially since it was already 8 PM.
We left the school by train, making me wonder where she was taking me.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To your house, at least that's the safest place. For now,"
For now? She said.
I took the exact same route I took when I went to buy snacks and crossed the river, probably the only route he knew.
When I got home, I was scared to death. After passing through the neighborhood filled with masked ghosts that resembled humans.
However, she warned me not to take it off to avoid suspicion.
When I arrived home, I opened the plain black door with a wooden pattern and invited him in. I didn't forget to take off my shoes and hang my jacket on the door hook.
There were so many things I wanted to ask him, but I decided to make tea first. It had become a habit of mine to make tea for guests.
But! The most important thing was the star-emblazoned hat. I kept at least ten spare hats in case one of them went missing.
It was difficult to climb the stairs with my crutch, which made a noise every time I walked.
Creak
"Wait a minute, I'll change my clothes. Drink the tea while it's still warm."
I put the crutch I was holding next to the plain white mattress while changing my clothes sitting on the floor.
I changed out of my thick blue jacket and torn jeans into a soft red sweater with white star patterns.
And black pants, but the texture was rough.
I didn't like these pants, but I forgot to wash them because it was early in the morning. And finally, I put the Russian hat with the star emblem on my head.
I regretted leaving it there for days.
All set, I grabbed my cane and walked towards the stairs next to my room. Not to mention, all the doors in my house were black.
It seemed like the previous owner of this house was obsessed with the color black.
The woman sat on the sofa, doing nothing but sitting there. She didn't drink the tea I made. Did this person not understand manners?
"Akoto, is this area safe?"
"No."
"No?"
"No, not until the day changes. They will leave this place once there is no suspicion."
Actually, I was curious about the word she always used, 'they'. Not wanting to beat around the bush any longer, I went straight to the point.
"Do you know anything about those soldiers in black uniforms?"
"The wicked man, that's what my people call him."
"All right, the wicked man, what is their purpose in coming here?"
She was silent for a moment, as if she was thinking about the words she would choose. I afraid my human brain wouldn't be able to comprehend her explanation.
"They are soldiers who eliminate signs of magic. Even if it means taking the lives of innocent people."
"...."
"Because in this modern age, magic is very easy to find and should not interfere with human affairs."
She's been mentioning magic this whole time, does that mean the cause is her magic?
"So why did they come?"
"They detected the presence of magic,"
"Is it yours??"
"... Why are you so sure that the only magic user here is me?"
Only?
"I don't have any power right now. This mask is my last resort to cover up the illusion. I haven't been able to fight back because my energy is depleted, so I disguised myself as one of the 'corpses' exposed to it."
He stood up and showed the katana sword he had been holding all this time.
"This property is just a disguise,"
Then, in an instant, her entire body was surrounded by blackish-red smoke, swirling downward and then upward. The shoes and uniform he was wearing transformed into my blood-stained school uniform in a matter of seconds.
The sword he had been holding also vanished. I stared at him with curiosity. What other abilities do vampires possess? Can they create other illusions as well?
"So why did you change your uniform?"
"Because if I didn't, you would think I was a murderer."
Eh? That's right.
I looked away because when her mask was splattered with blood, I thought she was a murderer. Especially since she was carrying her black katana sword.
Now she had transformed back into his previous form, wearing a sailor's uniform and holding a sharp katana sword. The smoke crept back onto her body in the opposite direction. Embarrassed by the woman's earlier words, I changed the subject.
"So what is the function of that katana you're carrying, Akoto?" I asked.
"To kill someone. I thought we would kill some of those black-clad soldiers. But I didn't expect the plan to go so smoothly."
I swallowed my saliva. Her blunt words could sometimes be very scary when said so bluntly.
"What are your plans once things return to normal?"
"Sorry, orange hair. I have to leave here immediately, and you should too."
Leave? I still have a goal that hasn't even been revealed yet. No, I can't. I've come this far to get to Wooden Ville.
"No, I still have a goal. Hey, you're the one who caused my legs to be like this. At least take responsibility."
"...."
The woman with short black bangs was silent again, like a statue. I was so angry that I wanted to rip off her mask. I forced myself to stand up and grabbed both of her collars.
I pulled her collar with the intention of making her answer me.
"Money? I can help with that."
"I don't care about money, if you want to pay. Pay by accompanying me in this disgusting, ghost-infested town."
I said hurriedly, afraid that she would really leave me.