Volume 2
Chapter 21
Escaped
Translator : PolterGlast
【Chrisya's POV】
Hundreds of years ago──
Eletia was truly a
bright and lively child.
She would always force
me, who preferred to stay cooped up in the house, to go to various places,
saying it was unhealthy.
I remember one time
when we went to a flower field together.
"Wow... Look,
Chrisya! It's so beautiful!"
Eletia always had
sparkling eyes and seemed to truly enjoy every moment.
"Hmph...
Certainly, the flowers are beautiful, but the dirt and the unclean air are more
noticeable."
"Gosh, Chrisya...
that's why Utia and Satia dislike you."
"Hmph, they don't
like me because I don't like Matia, whom they adore."
"You always
retort everything I say."
Even as she scolded
me, Eletia continued to lead me through the flower field.
"Hey, Eletia! Let
go of my hand! I can't stand getting any dirtier!"
"You can't just
stay cooped up in the house forever because it's dirty. You have to get used to
getting dirty a little you still can."
"Ugh, I can't
take it anymore! I'm going back!"
"Ah!?
Don't!"
Eletia forcibly held
me back and sat me down.
I hated the dirt and
flower nectar that was getting on me, and I was doing my best to endure it.
Eletia sat down next
to me.
"Ugh..."
"Oh, come on.
What's the point in worrying about such small things? You can't live like this
forever, you know?"
"N-No, what's
impossible is impossible... l-let me go home..."
"Sigh..."
Eletia sighed and
started making something below.
But I didn't have the
energy to care about that, and I was just trying to endure being there.
"Here,
Chrisya."
"───!"
Eletia placed
something on my head───a flower crown.
"W-What are you
doing!?"
However, I hated the
idea of having something on my head that had been outside, something I didn't
know what had touched or what was on it, so I tried to take it off immediately.
"Ah! Don't take
it off!"
Eletia stopped me,
preventing me from removing it.
"No! No way! Let
go!"
"Ah, stop being
so stubborn! Come on, put your hands on your lap!"
She forcefully placed
my hands on my lap and held them there.
"Ughhhh..."
"………"
I was forced to stop
by Eletia, and my body trembled due to the physiological disgust of the dirt.
Eletia watched me and───for a while, there was
silence.
"You know,
Chrisya,"
"……?"
"What are you
going to do from now on?"
"………What do you
mean...?"
"Are you going to
stay cooped up in that house forever?"
"………? No. That
house is also, somehow, dirty in some places. Eventually, I will... create my
own... domain, and live there."
"………"
When I said that,
Eletia sadly lowered her head and was quiet for a moment.
"...Eletia...?"
"Okay! I've
decided!"
Eletia suddenly raised
her head.
"W-What is
it?"
"If that happens,
I'll visit you regularly!"
"………Huh?"
"That way, I can
take Chrisya outside."
"Huh!?
"Because, if I
don't, Chrisya won't even go for a walk, right?"
"Of course! And
even if you come, I won't go!"
"No! I'll
definitely take you out."
"………Ughhh..."
I was so overwhelmed
by Eletia's incomprehensible words and actions that I was overcome with an
unexplainable emotion.
"Why are you so
obsessed with me!? It's none of your business what I do! Why are you so
attached to me!?"
"………"
I raised my voice. But
Eletia didn't look away from me. Instead, she looked me straight in the eye and
said───
"Because... I'll
be lonely if I can't see you anymore."
"───"
"Why am I so
attached? Of course I am! Because... you're my 'family'."
"………!"
I don't remember what
emotions I felt at that moment.
But... even so, this
memory has remained within me forever.
It was the moment
Eletia became special to me.
How could she have
changed so much? How could she... become so different?
I don't know... I
don't understand.
Eletia... what on
earth happened to you?"
□□□
【Chrisya's POV】
"Uu,
guh...!"
"Struggling is no
use. There's no way for you to escape now, Chrisya. My erosion is gradually
progressing... fufufu, you should just give up and accept me as I am now."
"───!"
Indeed, red cracks
were appearing on my body, as proof of the mud's erosion.
The filth I felt from
it───the disgusting
sensation coming directly from my skin, made me feel nauseous.
But... there was no
escape.
The tentacles wrapped
around me───the filth seeping in
from them, prevented my escape. The invading filth was draining my strength,
gradually transforming me into something else.
The feeling of
becoming something other than myself───a terrifying sensation that was growing stronger and stronger.
In response to that, I───
"Fuf, ugh,
ugh..."
In response to that
sensation, I───
"Ah, ahh..."
………No.
"Ahhhh...
no...!"
No! I don't want to
disappear!
I don't want to be
swallowed up by this filth! I can't bear to be touched by something like this!
No! No, no!!
Someone, please help
me! Get me out of this filth!
Anyone... please...
get me out...!
Mother...!
□□□
It's dark... I'm
sinking...
Aah, I've been
swallowed up. I wonder how far this goes?
Even if I try to
resist, something is wrapped around my body, and I can't move as I want.
It's a strange
sensation... I'm clearly underwater, but it's not painful at all. Yet, the
fatigue that remained in my body is increasing, and the unpleasantness of my
emotions is getting stronger.
I don't want to
move... but I don't want to stay here either.
Conflicting emotions
are fighting within me.
Aah... I wonder what
will happen to me...?
"───!!"
Suddenly, a chill ran
down my spine.
What is this feeling?
If I keep sinking like this, something irreversible will happen───I have such a premonition.
I can't stay here. I
can't sink any further.
If I keep going, I
will───
A sense of urgency
I've never felt before. But this new sensation was too dangerous to savor and
enjoy.
I exerted more
strength than ever before and───tore away something that was wrapped around me.
□□□
I had torn away
something that was wrapped around me and reached the surface of the swamp.
Even after that, it
tried to wrap around me several times, but I tore it away every time, and swam
up to here.
I extended my right
hand out of the swamp first. A splash resounded. Since the swamp seemed to have
spread across the entire floor of the room, I brought my finger close to the
wall───and then, I grabbed
and broke a piece of the wall.
Next was my left hand.
I hooked it onto the wall in the same way.
Then, I put all my
strength into my shoulders, upper arms, and fingers───and escaped from the
swamp.
Due to the momentum of
my escape, I floated in the air and landed on a part of the wall, making a
dent. I also inserted my fingers in a position close to that spot to fix my
body.
I looked around.
Kakyouin-san and Chrisya-san were staring at me with wide eyes.
I immediately jumped
towards Chrisya-san and landed next to her. I hugged Chrisya-san's body and
immediately left the place. I left the place so quickly that the tentacles
wrapped around her couldn't stretch out in time and were torn apart.
I stopped at a certain
distance from Kakyouin-san. However, it was difficult to stick to the wall
while holding Chrisya-san.
"………"
I thought she would
scold me for suddenly hugging her and jumping, but surprisingly, nothing came
out of Chrisya-san's mouth. Instead, she just looked at my face without any
reaction.
But instead of
worrying about that, I turned my gaze toward Kakyouin-san.
Kakyouin-san looked at
me and spoke.
"………Why?
Kushina"
The words she uttered
were a question. A question with very few words───but I could understand
what she wanted to ask.
So, I decided to
answer it clearly.
"Sorry, but... I
can't go with you, after all, Kakyouin-san."
"………"
"Inside this
swamp... I felt an incredibly unpleasant feeling. I don't even want to think
about staying in a place like that for the rest of my life. Sorry, but... I'll
resist with all my might."
It was the first time
I had clearly rejected her.
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