Chapter 38 Mayuri-Luc-Ei - Part 3

"Hey there, I assume you've come to make a contract with me."

The voice was deep and distorted but just slightly, I was able to make out the fact that the voice belonged to Mayuri, the devil and the person within the memories.

"Yes," I replied.

"Pay attention to the next memory, if you don't figure it out, there'll be consequences..."

As suddenly as it came, the voice disappeared.

A few moments later, I was moved back into another memory.

-

Act 4 Scene 6: Where

Where.

Where is he.

I quickly scramble out of the canteen. I can still find him.

Why is there no one who can help me when I'm in need?

I run into the middle of the courtyard, looking like a fool. I randomly look around, hoping that he would just be here somewhere.

What was I doing?

"Hey Mayuri, what are you looking for?"

He quickly sensed the panic in the situation.

It was Oliver, he was with a few friends; I hadn't talked to him before.

"Did you see Jack come through here somewhere?"

"Jack? Is he that new kid?"

"Yes, have you seen him?"

"Yeah I saw him running into the boy's toilets, he must have really needed to go."

That's not the reason but thanks, Oliver.

"Thanks."

I walk towards the boy's toilets.

Well, he's probably in there. I'll just wait out here. It's the least I can do.

-

It all went white again.

I need to think. What was I looking for? Something here is off.

All these memories... they were all connected, even the memory of the catastrophe.

The boy she was looking for...

She seemed to think it was Jack, but for some reason, it didn't sit well with me.

His behaviour... her behaviour.

I needed to think.

"Hey, are you ready to answer my question?" Asked the voice, echoing through this infinite domain.

Wait, I got it.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Suddenly, a girl appeared in front of me. She was wearing a dark-purple dress that dropped down to just over her thighs. Aside from that, she wore nothing else, it was overly simplistic, however, on the top of her head, there were two small horns. She was a devil, so I guess horns were part of the package.

She looked down at me before showing a sly smile.

"Here's the question," she stood up her on toes, "what was wrong with the memories?"

There was a moment of silence.

After the third memory, I realised it but only during the fourth memory did I really see what was really wrong.

I chuckled.

"The boy from the disaster, it's not Jack is it?"

Suddenly, her entire expression changed and then she started to laugh.

"Impressive."

"It's Oliver isn't it?"

She then seemed shocked but didn't respond for a little while.

"Am I right?" I asked.

"Yes, you're correct."

The two of us shared a moment of silence.

"Do you want to see the last memory?" She asked.

"Yes."

For the final memory, I was once again transported into the past body of Mayuri, living through her grief, her pain and her redemption as if it were my own. The surroundings changed, no longer white, I was looking out as if it were any normal day.

-

Act 4 Scene 7: Jack

The bell rings for the end of Lunch.

After a few moments, Jack exits the toilets. He jolts in shock as he witnesses me sitting outside the toilets.

"Mayuri... What are you doing here."

Oh well, he did this to me once before, I suppose I'm allowed to do it to him.

I run towards him and jump at him, catching him in an embrace.

"Thank you so much for what you did to me five years ago."

His expression is ice cold.

This isn't right.

"U-um Mayuri, are you sure you have the right person?"

Wait what?

"You saved me all those years ago right?"

"I-I don't remember doing something like that."

Wait what?

"You don't remember? The catastrophe?"

"You mean the one that happened in this city? I wasn't even here five years ago."

It wasn't him?

No way.

He slowly drags me off his body.

"Is this why you've been being so friendly with me?"

"Um."

Silence fills the air between us.

"Well, I'm not the boy you're talking about, I'm sorry."

I stand frozen as I watch him slowly walk away from me.

His face showed a cold expression.

What have I done?

-

That was it.

The final memory.

Well, it didn't seem like the end.

If anything, it felt like the start of something else.

I found myself once again sitting on the blank white floor of [Mayuri's World]. The long-haired girl with horns on her head looked down at me from a few metres away.

"Was that really it?" I asked.

"That's it for now, there's more to it, but I'll explain in a second."

She took a few steps forward.

"So, what is it that you desire?" She asked.

"I want power."

"Is that it?"

"For now it is."

She giggled a little.

p "Sure, I can give you power, but I'll be taking something in exchange," her voice was deep and amplified, she pointed to her head, "I'll be taking some of your memories, are you fine with that?"

There was a slight echo to her voice, it seemed to travel quite well throughout this edgeless world. It was smooth and calming.

"Yes, I don't have any good memories anyways."

"Are you sure? You do have a lot of bad memories, but I can also see some good memories in here."

"Those... good memories... I d-don't need them either."

"Ah, well in that case, I'm sure we can form a contract."

She stretched her arm out towards me.

"Don't worry, I won't take your memories all at once, whenever you desire more power, call out to me and I will provide—in exchange for more of your memories."

*

I was back in my settlement.

I looked around, I saw all of my Minion huts scattered around the area—in a somewhat uniform way. I saw the two main huts, the makeshift cooking station, the firepit, my Elite Minions, they were all here, waiting for me.

As the cold air of the apocalyptic world brushed against my skin, I finally realised that I was back.

In my hand, I held a sheet of paper, it was extremely tough, it felt as if it could never be broken. On it, there were the words, "Mayuri Contract".

Ah, well that was over.

I looked up at the setting sun, that process had taken me pretty much the entire day.

Now all that was left was to collect the remaining resources.