"[Patriarch of Suicide], I beseech your help in exchange for these sacrifices. Kill the being known as [Euphoria]."
The lights within the hotel suddenly went out.
Everything plunged into darkness in an instant, and an indescribably eerie sensation crept across my skin. The hairs on my body stood on end as I felt something strange descend upon the hotel.
I immediately closed my eyes and covered my ears.
See no evil, hear no evil.
Marcus, along with the other members of F-5, did the same as they felt the eerie sensation arriving.
Elias shouted immediately towards the ordinary citizens.
"Everyone! Close your eyes and cover your ears! Now!"
The relatively quick-witted individuals among those who had panicked immediately followed his instructions.
Faced with such a bizarre situation, many had simply followed the actions of those around them.
Some continued to tremble uncontrollably, while others hurriedly pressed their hands against their ears and shut their eyes as tightly as they could.
Even with my eyes closed and my ears covered, I could still hear the screams of pain from the being known as [Euphoria].
It seemed to be thrashing about as it laughed, struggling against the being I had summoned.
Its laughter grew increasingly louder, intertwining with its shrill screeches as though it were desperately resisting something that threatened to consume it.
But then, a deep and overwhelming sorrow descended upon the entire hotel.
The sensation of happiness that had once permeated the establishment was nowhere to be found.
Tears streamed down my face, and everyone within the hotel began to sob.
Not even the laughter of [Euphoria] could pierce through the suffocating sadness.
It was a strange feeling.
A sorrow so profound that it made me question the very worth of my existence.
As though every year I had lived through had been meaningless, every effort I had ever made utterly futile, and that the only reasonable solution was to bring my own life to an end.
That was only reasonable, was it not?
Because... what are we, if not insignificant specks of dust drifting through an incomprehensible world?
We are born without purpose, live without meaning, and perish without leaving anything of worth behind.
The world would continue turning all the same, indifferent to our suffering, indifferent to our deaths.
Yes... it is only reasonable to think that... I....
I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e. I s h o u l d j u s t d i e.
I snapped back into my senses as I removed my current thoughts.
Laughter and sorrow seemed to constantly battle within my mind, but the overwhelming sense of self-hatred and depression was far stronger.
I could hear the hotel around me thrashing about as [Euphoria] struggled, its movements causing the entire place to tremble.
The insanity within my mind finally began to subside as I heard the final laughter of the being known as [Euphoria].
Its laughter gradually grew distant, eventually disappearing into the depths of the place from which the [Patriarch of Suicide] had emerged.
I presumed that [Euphoria] was being dragged into its Supernatural Place...
And judging from the way the hotel was reacting, I could only assume that the process was far from pleasant.
The lights flickered back on as the overwhelming sense of depression and self-hatred within me finally disappeared.
I took a moment to gather myself before looking around.
The sobbing throughout the hotel had yet to stop, and the atmosphere remained far from peaceful. However, I didn’t have the luxury of relaxing just yet.
I knew that once [Euphoria] disappeared, there would be nothing left to prevent the others from leaving this place.
And considering how much trouble I had gone through to get here, I certainly didn’t want to be caught off guard at the very last moment.
— A handkerchief, my Lord.
A familiar voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.
The faceless butler, its smile still stretched across its face, stood beside me with a handkerchief neatly held between its fingers.
I stared at it for a moment before accepting the offered item.
...I was still somewhat frightened by its sudden appearance.
’Could you at least give me a warning before appearing beside me like that?’
I wiped the tears on my face before taking another look at the butler.
— Congratulations on your victory, my Lord. With the previous owner having departed, this grand hotel now has a rightful master. No... a far more worthy owner. May I inquire as to how you wish to proceed with this establishment?
Hearing those words, I couldn’t help but twitch the corners of my mouth.
A rightful master?
A more worthy owner?
I seriously didn’t want to stay in this hotel any longer than I absolutely had to, much less become its owner.
"We’ll discuss it later... Just take care of this place for now."
— As you wish, my Lord. I shall ensure that the establishment remains under proper supervision until you provide further instructions.
’I’ll never get used to this...’
After fixing up my suit, I finally made my way toward the sobbing members of Team F-5, who were still struggling to get back on their feet.
Well, at least they were still alive.
That was already more than I could have hoped for when this entire incident began.
"Y-you..."
Marcus was the first to notice me approaching.
His expression immediately changed, and Elias, along with the others, quickly moved to stand guard beside him.
I couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at their reaction.
"No need to be so cautious around me. I’ve basically saved your lives twice now. Should I not be receiving a thank you instead?"
None of them answered.
Even the usually chatty Clara was trembling slightly, attempting to hide behind Elias, who was helping Marcus back onto his feet.
Jonathan’s death, the terror of facing [Euphoria], and the sheer absurdity of how this Supernatural Space had concluded were all still weighing heavily on their minds.
I couldn’t really blame them.
After all, the situation they had encountered today was far beyond what an F-Team was capable of handling.
...And I wasn’t exactly helping matters by approaching them in my current form.
Of course, I also didn’t have any intentions of wasting time standing around and waiting for them to recover.
There were far more important things to take care of right now which regarded my safety and escape.
After being assigned as a temporary supernatural companion, I had already lost hope that the researchers or management team would classify me as a supernatural item and place me within the item vaults rather than designate me as an entity.
I knew very well that every so-called "temporary" companion was already considered an entity.
I had read enough wikis and books about [Arcana] to understand that much.
And right now, I had no time to gloat over the fact that my plan had failed to proceed as smoothly as I had intended.
’There are far too many coincidences happening around me... I wouldn’t have been assigned as a supernatural companion had this supernatural space not arrived today.’
’It’s almost as though someone is pushing me in a certain direction.’
I naturally frowned.
I knew there was nothing I could do about it right now. I simply didn’t possess the necessary items to resist having my life or mind manipulated.
Of course, these were still nothing more than my own theories and deductions.
There was no concrete evidence to support them, and I certainly wasn’t foolish enough to assume that every strange occurrence was the result of some grand scheme.
But it was better to remain cautious.
After all, within [Arcana], coincidences often led to disasters, destruction, and death.
Thus, I had no choice but to redirect my plans once again.
I stopped in front of the members of F-5.
"About the favor you owe me, I will use it now."
My words immediately drew their attention. Marcus, in particular, seemed to stiffen.
I could practically see the questions forming in his mind, but before he could say anything, I continued.
"From this moment onward, none of you shall disclose my human form, nor any of the interactions you witnessed involving it. When reporting this incident to A.E.G.I.S., you shall only state that, while in my doll form, I provided your team with several hints that aided your escape from this Supernatural Space. Nothing beyond that."
"Should you, Marcus, or any member of Response Unit F-5 disclose the truth of what transpired here to A.E.G.I.S., you shall be compelled to eliminate every member of your team before taking your own life. This condition shall remain in effect until the favor has been fulfilled."
"Also, I am aware that A.E.G.I.S. possesses a citizen memory wiper. Use it to erase the memories of the ordinary civilians who witnessed this Supernatural Space before they are subjected to any investigation. I would prefer that this incident leave as few loose ends as possible."
My smile widened slightly as I reached my hand out toward Marcus.
"I hope for a pleasant cooperation, Response Unit F-5."