Frélle's voice wasn't loud, but this time Sirin heard it. A look of surprise appeared on her face, and she turned to look in Frélle's direction.
Whether it was an illusion or not, the light from the crystal ball in her hand had become much dimmer. The outlines that were clearly visible just now had now returned to a state where she couldn't see anything.
For example, Frélle's figure.
But even if she couldn't see Frélle's appearance, Sirin could imagine what a humble figure she must be cutting right now.
That almost pleading tone... no, that was a plea to her, like a defeated opponent wagging its tail and begging for mercy from the victor. The pitiful tone made Sirin's heart tighten inexplicably.
Then she shook her head to herself.
"No."
The light from the crystal ball in her hand suddenly went out. Sirin was startled. Relying on the afterimage in her vision, she shook her hand, trying to fix the crystal ball.
But after a series of attempts, the crystal ball still didn't react. Sirin fiddled with it for a few more seconds, then gritted her teeth, decisively dropped the crystal ball, and, fumbling in the dark, found the gap she had just enlarged.
Just a bit of darkness... what's there to be afraid of! At worst, I'll just smash it in the dark!
...
Rejected (abandoned)...
This was the only thought in Frélle's mind.
My proposal was rejected... and that was the only proposal I could offer...
Just like that... rejected...
So... all of me is nothing in the other's eyes? That's right. The one who holds the chains (power) can easily get whatever they want from me.
My only value is to let them gain more value.
External benefits, internal feelings... and I have already violated one of them, so now I have no value...
Then for the other to execute (abandon) me... is also excusable (?)...
Frélle lowered her head. The discomfort (suffocation) on her neck grew stronger and stronger. Death seemed to be approaching her. The endless darkness around her seemed to start moving, about to devour her completely, to squeeze out the last bit of her value.
A drop of water fell on the tip of Sirin's nose. Her downward smashing motion paused. Then, she looked up in a daze.
That was...
Sirin swallowed. A drop of unknown liquid had inexplicably dripped from the ceiling. Sirin had only seen such a scene in those Homu horror movies...
Either there was a monster on the ceiling, hanging upside down and looking at her.
Or...
The sensation from the hand Sirin had placed on the wall to determine her position had changed. It had become slimy and soft, yet filled with a certain toughness.
This feeling... Sirin's legs began to tremble.
It was as if her hand was pressed against a piece of meat with fascia and mucus...
Disgusting!!
Has this prison cage turned into a man-eating monster?!
Sirin suddenly realized this. She turned to look at Frélle. Did her rejection just now release something incredible? Did her rejection summon such a monster?
You should have said so earlier! Who knew you'd be so humble one second and mutate the next!!
A wet, soft tentacle suddenly struck, wrapping around Sirin's ankle. Amidst Sirin's terrified screams, it violently pulled her backward.
"Waaaaaaaaah—!!!"
Why did it have to be tentacles!! I hate these things the most, ahhhhh!!!
Octopuses, squids, all go to hell for the magical girl Lady Sirin☆!!
Tentacles, or rather, appendages of strange shapes, began to extend from the walls of the cage. They had completely different forms. Some were hideous and ugly, while others exuded a hazy sense of temptation.
They were varied in form, but without exception, they all exuded an undisguised greed.
It was as if after a long wait, a group of people facing food, whether they were homeless or social elites, all showed their hunger, just waiting to start this gluttonous feast.
Perhaps before that... there was a trivial dessert?
"Ngh—!!"
Feeling the tentacle wrapped around her ankle climb up another circle, already at the end of her calf, Sirin, who was holding onto the chain to avoid being dragged away, let out another piercing scream.
Sirin's hands gripped the chain, while her leg was pulled by the tentacle, her whole body pulled horizontally in the air. She violently flipped over and, with her other leg, kicked hard at the tentacle.
Sirin's legs had never been this fast, not even when she was running away. Three consecutive kicks stunned the tentacle, making it release her.
Sirin, who had landed on the ground with a "thud," didn't run away immediately. Instead, relying on her memory, she quickly returned to the spot where she had been smashing the hole.
This time, she had no hesitation. She slapped her hand against the wall.
On the wet, soft, and sticky wall was a large pit that was trying to conceal itself by contracting. That was the hole she had just made with the chain.
So, even if the wall has turned into flesh, the hole is still there!
And based on the degree of contraction of this flesh... this unhealable wound is actually very large! Maybe with just a little more effort, I can...
A sense of danger suddenly came. Sirin subconsciously turned her head. The tentacle that had only wrapped around her before now whipped toward her like a whip. The immense force sent her flying, crashing into the wall and bouncing back.
"Why did you reject me..." a low whisper sounded softly. Sirin, lying on the ground, only then realized something.
Why did the tentacle come from behind? Shouldn't... Frélle be behind me?
In the darkness, the chains on Frélle had twisted and turned into thick tentacles. The one that had just wrapped around Sirin's ankle was one that had extended from her body.
The tentacles extending from the flesh wall surrounded her, gradually enveloping her. And she had no resistance, just waiting in the center of these tentacles' platter for them to close in.
Her only action was to extend this tentacle toward Sirin.
"Why... was I not good enough? Why did you abandon me...?" she repeated this monotonous sentence blankly, as if begging for Sirin's response.
Sirin didn't have time to defend herself. The tentacle whipped at her chest. The pain, more excessive than reality, made her small body curl up.
As the tentacles surrounded Frélle, the entire room began to tremble uncontrollably. It was a tremble of excitement. And Sirin's consciousness also began to fade.
Am I being rejected by the dream...?
A crystal ball rolled to Sirin's side.