The festival time has come.
The stage rehearsals were more than sufficient, and now it’s time to reap the fruits of that effort.
The children wore faces filled with tension.
If they performed as they had practiced, there would be no problem at all.
However, reality is different from practice.
The kids had become accustomed to their roles, but the thought of performing in front of so many watching eyes made their faces harden.
Each child steeled themselves in their own way, but when the body is tense, true skill does not come out.
A heavy silence wrapped around the kids.
In the midst of this awkward situation, Rene waved her hand to disperse the heavy air.
“Alright, loosen up and enjoy the festival. We still have a long wait before we go on stage.”
The children seemed to finally realize something and opened their eyes wide.
The festival.
What is happening here now is a festival.
The festival is not just the performance.
It’s about enjoying the games at the attractions and wandering around while eating delicious food.
Before being actors on stage, the children are also people who should enjoy the festival.
Their stiff faces relaxed slightly, and they nodded their heads.
Yes, this is how it should be.
As Rene said, the performance has not started yet.
After it begins, we’ll have to wait a long time for our turn.
Until then.
We can enjoy the festival without any worries.
As they enjoy the festival, their tension should naturally ease.
Rene raised her index finger toward the children.
“Ah, but you can’t get too carried away playing or eating. It would be a disaster if you get tired or have a stomach ache before going on stage.”
“Yes~!”
“Let’s go!”
“Okay!”
With that, Rene raised her arms high.
The children followed suit and raised their arms in excitement.
With renewed energy, they all began to stroll through the festival streets.
The festival street was bustling with crowds. The children followed Rene closely to avoid getting lost while looking around.
As is fitting for a festival, there were fascinating attractions and food everywhere.
With each intriguing sight, the children’s eyes sparkled.
Holding onto strange snacks, the children giggled joyfully.
This time, the bitter mask had no lower half, allowing me to enjoy the food comfortably.
It resembled Takoyaki in shape, texture, and taste.
The only difference was that when I placed it in my mouth, the ingredients wriggled as if they were alive inside.
Every time I chewed, a tiny, pitiful sound emitted from my mouth.
It was a snack that was quite fun to eat.
What was this called?
“Ugh. You can eat stuff like that?”
“Sometimes I can’t understand Lily’s taste.”
“Eating strange things will give you a stomach ache….”
When I chose to eat an interesting snack, the children looked at me with strange eyes.
I tilted my head, unable to comprehend.
Finding food is an unknown challenge that isn’t discovered by coincidence. That spirit is what drives the search for deliciousness, and it actually leads to such discoveries.
Despite the children’s sharp evaluations, the snack I was eating was incredibly flavorful.
When I recommended it to them, the children’s faces turned pale.
They shook their heads, rejecting my offer.
Not eating something this delicious just shows they don’t know how to enjoy festival food.
While I was enjoying the festival like that, Lena murmured softly beside me.
“It would have been nice if my sister was here too….”
Her voice carried a slight sorrow that didn’t fit with the festival.
Red was very busy as one of the festival organizers.
So instead, Rene came out for the first time in a while to guide the children.
I took Lena’s hand, which looked lonely.
For a moment, Lena looked surprised at my action, but then her downturned lips curved into a small smile.
The children’s footsteps became lively and light.
Soon, smiles blossomed on their formerly stiff faces. The laughter, much sweeter than any snack, melted into the festival.
It was a festival thrown by Red and her acquaintances.
The festival itself wasn’t incredibly extravagant or vast.
The variety of snacks and attractions wasn’t diverse, and it was significantly less than the dirty festivals held in that city.
Compared to the amusement park I had visited before, this place was quite small.
It was a scale suitable for the people living in the outskirts to enjoy in small measures.
But it was far more vibrant and dazzling than any other festival.
Unlike the festivals of the glowing city, it illuminated the festival streets with pure sparkle, as if stars were embroidered on the ground rather than the night sky.
Everyone who came here, whether adult or child, had faces full of joy.
Sounds of laughter filled with happiness.
As expected of a festival, a lively atmosphere surrounded us, making me completely forget for a moment that we were in the Outskirts City.
The cheer of the festival brought a satisfied smile to my face.
“Next, let’s go over there.”
“I want to try that!”
“Doesn’t that look delicious?”
Even as time passed, the heat of the festival didn’t cool down; rather, it only grew hotter, enveloping everyone’s hearts.
We moved our feet in search of something fun together.
The first place we reached was an entertainment facility crowded with people.
It was a game where you sliced falling fruits displayed on a large screen.
1st place, 5680 points.
2nd place, 5300 points.
3rd place, 4980 points.
The children took turns participating in the game.
However, the children’s scores were never recorded in the rankings.
Kids expressed their disappointment.
When it was my turn, I picked up the sword.
With the starting signal, fruits suddenly appeared on the screen.
Following the trajectory of my swing, the fruits displayed on the screen were sliced.
Ding~
After the game ended, a congratulatory sound rang out, announcing the rise of a new 1st place.
1st place, 10001 points.
People buzzed with excitement.
“Oh my goodness… Look at that, is that even a score that’s possible?!”
“No way. Who on earth is that?!”
“Wait, what?! That kid with the mask is in 1st place? That little one got such a high score?!”
I placed my hands on my hips and confidently raised my head towards the children.
They all praised my skills.
But I wasn’t satisfied with just this.
We moved on to another entertainment facility.
Mole games, shooting games, and single-player survival games.
We participated in a variety of games, and each time I overwhelmingly took 1st place.
“Who is that kid with the mask? Who is it who keeps winning?”
“Ugh, how am I supposed to beat that score…? That’s just impossible. The 1st place prize is lost to us now.”
“The god of games must be channeling through that kid.”
Heh.
No matter who the opponent is, I never show mercy.
This is how a festival should be.
I planned to keep the 1st place prize in a separate storage until later.
As we were enjoying the festival, time flew by unnoticed.
The doors of the large building we had prepared for the performance swung wide open.
People began to enter to watch the performance.
The seats quickly filled up, and anticipation filled the faces of the crowd.
Thump thump.
As the people took the stage to showcase a stunning performance, applause showered upon the stage.
The more people enjoyed themselves and the louder the applause became,
The more the children’s faces gradually stiffened.
Oh no… the tension that had dissipated from the fun we had is gathering back again.
Well, with that many eyes watching, it’s only natural to feel tense.
As our turn drew closer, I decided to wash my face and stepped into the restroom.
Before I went back inside.
To cool the heat that had built up from the joyful warmth, I stepped outside.
“May it go well until the very end.”
It was a brief moment of peace.
The children had prepared diligently for the performance.
Hoping desperately that all our efforts would not go to waste, at that moment when I was about to head back inside.
A shadow loomed over me, and an eerie darkness enveloped me.
*
Inside a shabby chapel.
Along the central aisle, the pews were entirely filled on both sides.
On the left and right sat one person each.
The head of the Cult of the Grim Reaper, Gray, and the prophet of the cult, the Oracle.
The Oracle was explaining to Gray about the plan she had devised.
After hearing the full explanation, Gray organized his thoughts behind the skull mask.
He then opened his mouth.
“So, your plan is to ruin the festival being held by the criminal killer and his group in the Outskirts City?”
“That’s right.”
“And you’re saying to send your followers to sabotage the festival? But that would be difficult. Your opponent is Red. And her companions are probably quite skilled.”
“No, we don’t need to send anyone. I’ve placed one of my people inside. The plan is being carried out diligently even at this very moment.”
Gray’s eyes hidden behind the mask narrowed.
He glanced sideways at the Oracle, and sensing the question emanating from him, the Oracle spoke.
“After this plan goes smoothly, we’ll have the chaos that arises to move our people and escalate the confusion even further. It should spread throughout the entire city. Chaos will be a great catalyst for death.”
“You think this event could become a storm that sweeps through the entire city? Such incidents frequently occur in the Outskirts City. It would soon be buried under other events.”
Gray’s skepticism about the operation was fully understood by the Oracle.
In the Outskirts City, the large and small events that occur scatter before even becoming a storm, let alone a breeze.
But this time is different.
The Oracle smiled at the corner of her mouth.
“You are indeed right. However, this festival is being held by Red.”
“….”
Gray tilted his head slightly.
The Oracle explained.
“This festival is a kind of celebration of hope. It is meant to inform everyone that there is still hope in this world and to show the possibilities of a better future… it’s filled with various positive wishes.”
The Oracle knew Red’s personality well.
She understood her beliefs.
Unlike most people in this world, she has strong faith in others.
With such faith, the Oracle continued with a teasing smile.
“If people from the outskirts were to sabotage a festival meant for their own, what do you think would happen?”
“Don’t tell me…?!”
Gray nodded, seemingly confirming his thoughts.
“Even Red, no matter how strong her convictions are, would experience some cracks. Even a small crack is enough. It would be exceedingly easy to exploit that gap and shatter everything.”
“But how will you manage that? No way would it be easy to distract the criminal killer’s attention.”
“That’s not a problem.”
The Oracle’s voice, proclaiming that, was filled with confidence.
“Greed, Midas, will make a move.”
“Greed?!”
One of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed.
Gray knew well how powerful the Seven Deadly Sins were.
Even if all seven teamed up, they still wouldn’t be a match for Red.
There was no room for any anxiety.
“Are you sure?”
“Ah, it’ll be fine. Thanks to the friend I sent earlier.”
Gray slightly furrowed his brow behind the mask.
The person the Oracle referred to was Adam.
Confidently, Adam had lost his life to Red.
“Since that friend failed, the flow of money has gathered towards Midas. He has mustered quite a bit of power. At least he’ll play his role well enough to keep her occupied.”
“If you say so, it must be true.”
Gray shifted his gaze toward the statue of the Grim Reaper that stood prominently on the platform.
“If this plan succeeds, we may be able to reach the Oracle.”
His voice was imbued with emotion.
However.
A shadow fell over his mask.
It could have been simply the dim lighting inside, but it almost seemed to reflect his troubled heart.
The Oracle, as if sensing his feelings, spoke.
“You don’t look so good. Is there something about the plan you dislike?”
“No. Nothing at all.”
“Really?”
“Yes?”
Silence hung in the air, and the Oracle seemed to have realized something, her eyes narrowing.
Fierce red eyes emerged, drawing a line of contempt as they gazed at him.
“Are you feeling guilty because many people will die if it goes according to plan?”
“Of course not. If I had to answer your question, it would be that your plan doesn’t consider the hearts of people.”
“Hearts…?”
The strange response left the Oracle in confusion.
Gray spoke.
“Your plan is to ruin the festival. The people enjoying the festival there must be very happy. The deeper their happiness, the deeper their despair.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“We, the Cult of the Grim Reaper, seek to break the flesh to redeem the soul and plant new life on the land where death has scattered. But your method damages the souls of people, leaving nothing but ashes on the earth. Isn’t that a rather violent approach…?”
With Gray’s sermon, the Oracle clutched her head with her hands.
Trembling slightly, she eventually burst into laughter.
As if playfully shaking her legs.
“Ha ha ha ha! You’re still spouting that nonsense? It’s hilariously absurd.”
After laughing for quite a while, she pretended to wipe away tears with her fingers.
The Oracle completely stifled her laughter.
“Then do you want to cancel the plan even now?”
“That’s a foolish question to ask. I don’t like your method, but our priority is to bring forth our God. Nothing is more important than the descent of a deity. In the face of the greater good, personal emotions must be set aside.”
Her voice, smeared with fanatic belief, was solemn.
And.
Gray lowered his gaze.
Placing both hands on his knees, he clasped them tightly.
The eyes hidden behind the mask were filled with sorrow, mourning for the souls crushed mercilessly by violence.
“May a warm touch of death caress those souls.”
He mourned silently.
