As I sank into unconsciousness, having suffered Ryo's assault and grabbed his sword, I saw a familiar face emerge from the darkness, but haloed by an almost divine aura.
"An archangel?"
I tried to rise to follow him, but my limbs seemed numb, as if an invisible weight were crushing me against the ground in this lightless space.
"He's waking up!"
It was then that I was finally able to open my eyes again. Beside me, Saé wore a worried expression, her eyes reflecting a palpable anxiety. Beside her, Edano stood sentinel, scanning the surroundings with unfailing vigilance, ready to act at the slightest sign of danger.
A person I didn't know had his hands resting delicately on my gaping wound. His face was imbued with a reassuring serenity, contrasting with the ambient tension of the situation. Through the haze of my flickering consciousness, I realized she was healing my wounds, dispelling the stabbing pain that had filled my senses.
I turned my gaze to Saé, who instantly grasped my silent question before I could even express it verbally.
"Ryo alerted us to your fall and your unconscious state. So we rushed to your aid, and saw that girl was nursing."
A wave of gratitude washed over me for my companions who had answered the call despite the chaos around us.
Rage rose in me as Saé revealed how Ryo had led them to believe he'd found me in this state. It was the bastard himself who had stabbed me, and now he feigned innocence to deflect suspicion? This act of dishonesty chilled me to the bone, leaving me feeling utterly helpless.
The caregiver then introduced herself.
"Excuse me, my name is Demura Isari."
I gazed at her in admiration, a young girl with brown hair tied back, her determined face testifying to her firm resolve to heal my wounds. Every rebellious lock of hair that escaped from her bun seemed to symbolize her determination and commitment to her mission.
I thanked her warmly, but told her my opinion.
"Tus know, you don't need to linger on me..."
Before I could finish my sentence, she interrupted me with a resolute tone.
"Without your intervention, that devilishly handsome prince might have turned on me once he'd finished with the lady you saved."
"You really called him prince devilishly handsome?!" Seriously, what kind of nickname was that?
His assertion struck me like a thunderclap, reminding me that even in these dark times, there were still kind souls ready to support one another.
At that moment, his colleagues made their way over to us, revealing that they were in fact a united group. Their grateful expressions testified to their collective gratitude, and I realized that their desire to thank me seemed sincere.
As I contemplated the situation, a realization hit me hard. If I hadn't intervened and this girl had been attacked by Ryo, it would have endangered her entire group. Seeing that she continued to treat me devotedly, I felt the need to clarify things.
"Even if you heal me, I won't tell you where the solution to the riddle lies," I said, seeking to establish a clear boundary between our exchanges.
She let out a sigh of relief, which proved to me that she had already anticipated my decision. "I suspected as much..." she replied simply, accepting my choice without the slightest hesitation.
She smiled slightly, almost shyly. "It's just a thank you..."
Her vague answer, devoid of any concrete explanation, aroused in me a growing mistrust. I plunged my gaze into his, scrutinizing every tiny expression in search of some hidden truth.
A slight smile stretched his lips, but this gesture wasn't enough to dispel my doubts.
"What? I swear it's the truth!"
With a firm movement, I withdrew his hands from my wound, a sign of my determination to get a clear answer.
"I don't think you quite understand what I'm getting at..."
Adopting a more incisive tone, imbued with a hint of menace, I plunged my gaze into his and asked him the question that was tormenting me.
"How are you able to regenerate me?"
The instant my question crossed my lips, Demura's face froze in an expression of surprise mingled with apprehension. Before she could reply, Saé intervened, seeking to ease the rising tension.
"Calm down Bun, she's just trying to help."
Yet Demura's anxious gaze betrayed a certain reserve as to her real motives.
"Very well, then. In that case, let me ask you something else. How about your group and mine teaming up together for the rest of the puzzle?"
I could see right through her. She wanted to use us to immunize herself. Unfortunately for her, my answer was clear and unequivocal. I categorically refused to ally myself with them.
"There's no room for alliances in our quest."
Faced with my refusal, Demura simply nodded, accepting my decision without seeking to argue. However, her final words, full of innuendo, rang through the air like a veiled warning. "We'll see how this group holds up..."
Breaking the tense moment, Saé laid a comforting hand on my shoulder, urging me to refocus on the challenges ahead. Her intervention was like a buoy in the choppy waters of my tumultuous thoughts.
"It's no coincidence that I thought of this before I woke up..." I said softly.
Just as we were getting to our feet, the child's voice echoed through the cave, resonating with a strange solemnity. Its announcement imposed silence, as if the world were holding its breath in anticipation of this final challenge, the ultimate denouement of the enigma.
The voice echoed through the cave, captivating the attention of all present. "Dear solver, in a few moments, the final clue will begin. Everyone fight for victory!"
His words revealed a final challenge, a final obstacle before the final resolution of the riddle. A shiver ran through the assembly, mixing excitement and apprehension as everyone prepared to face this final clue.
[Clue: ~The projection of fireworks!
Explanation: Okutama has been subdivided into twelve zones. Every morning, three zones will be shaken by explosions. Try to avoid them.
Constraint: If you find yourself in a zone about to explode, the puzzle will be considered unsolved].
These words echoed in our minds, like a final warning before the final denouement. A palpable tension settled over the cave, as everyone mentally prepared for this final challenge, determined to do everything in their power to win.
A wave of uncertainty swept through the cave as everyone lost themselves in conjecture about the meaning of this final clue. Whispers filled the air as everyone tried to unravel the hidden meaning behind the words spoken by the childlike voice.
In this whirlwind of questions and doubts, Saé and I exchanged a look of concern and determination. We knew that this last challenge would be our greatest test, and that in it we would have to prove our worth.
Edano, sensing our anxiety, questioned us with his eyes, seeking answers to our concerns.
"Why are you making that face? You already know which pitches are going to explode, don't you?"
"Well... It's more complicated than that..."
It was at this point that the film we had once been spectators of had become our reality, consequently, we were plunged into the unknown, devoid of any certainty as to the events to come.
"That's when our reality changed.
Faced with the revelation that the film script had been transformed into a ruthless reality, Edano could hardly conceal his surprise. Even so, he tried to reassure himself that, since we'd already solved the riddle, nothing could happen to us.
Yet even this reassuring thought could not completely dispel the shadow of uncertainty that hung over us. Aware that time was running out and that every moment counted, I made a proposal to my group.
"Let's take advantage of the day to rest and regain our strength. After all, the next explosions will take place the following day, and we'll need all our energy to face whatever challenge lies ahead."
During this time of relative respite, as the tension seemed to ease momentarily, my eyes scanned the cave for signs of movement and action. Groups formed and dissipated like clouds in the changing sky, some seeming to draw closer while others drifted away in divergent directions.
In the distance, I noticed murmurs and gestures of connivance between certain individuals, clear signs of the emergence of secret alliances. Furtive glances and conspiratorial whispers punctuated the atmosphere, revealing the first cracks in the apparent solidarity that had previously reigned. Everyone seemed to be looking for allies, fellow travelers to face the final enigma, but in this cruel game where trust was a rare luxury, no one could be sure of the loyalty of the others.
I noted these dynamics with growing suspicion, aware that in this struggle for survival, alliances could be as fragile as cobwebs in a storm.
As night fell, I activated my communication skills to establish a telepathic connection with Edano and Saé, our minds merging in silent but effective communication. With an inner voice, I transmitted my plan, elaborated in the light of our previous knowledge and experience.
{Bun: For these first explosions, it would be wiser to position ourselves on terrain close to the secondary enigma we've solved}.
{Edano: Why do you think that? }
{Bun: If it's a clue, their aim will be to lure us there. Since that's how we can solve the riddle}
{Saé: I think it's the safest place}.
The decision made, we all stuck to the plan with calm but resolute determination. As I made my way towards a piece of land close to the riddle, I was struck by an unpleasant realization: Ryo was already standing on that same piece of land. An exasperated sigh escaped my lips.
"Really?" I muttered, annoyed. "Of the twelve plots available, he has to choose the same one as mine..."