kago no yuri

The group stood in stunned silence, their minds reeling from the creature's sudden ability to speak. Aetherion's grand appearance was certainly impressive, but it was its voice that truly caught their attention. 

The tone was grating, like nails on a chalkboard, yet it was laced with an unsettling playfulness that made every ear it reached want to shut it out. 

Despite the initial shock, they found themselves drawn in, forced to listen as Aetherion's words etched themselves into their hearts and minds like a violation.

"I'm Aetherion, merely a messenger for my master," 

the creature introduced itself, its expression twisted into a devilish grin. 

"You see, you 'lilies' were each selectively handpicked by my master, the Grand Narrator." 

The term "lilies" hung in the air, and Ryo's eyes narrowed as he felt a shiver run down his spine. It couldn't be a coincidence that they used the same term he had always associated with himself. 

Back in his world, he had adored lilies, drawn to their lonely beauty and the way they seemed detached from others. He had even kept a flower pot with a lily in his room, placing it by the window so it could bask in the sunlight.

Aetherion's voice cut through Ryo's thoughts, its irritating tone making him wince. 

"We call you 'lilies' because of the significance of the flower. You're all alone in your own little worlds, and when you reach your limits, you begin to wither and emit strong emotions. That's when I take notice of your existence, and I decide whether you're worthy of being part of the ritual." 

The creature's grin grew wider, its eyes glinting with malevolence. "If I deem you fit, you get summoned to the Mirror Realm. And that's where you are now."

Ryo's gaze met Akimitsu's, and he saw a flicker of understanding there. They were both thinking the same thing – this was no coincidence. The Grand Narrator had chosen them for a reason, and Aetherion's words only added to the mystery.

Aetherion continued, its voice dripping with excitement. 

"You're part of the 4th chapter, and you'll have to complete a lot of pages – challenges and objectives that can be either very dangerous or mild. Complete a considerable amount, and you might just appease my master. If you succeed in earning his favor, he'll grant each of you a single wish. Most people wish to return home, but some wish to build upon something in this world. And then there are those who make... peculiar wishes." 

The creature's grin grew even wider, its eyes sparkling with anticipation. 

"Do your best to entertain me and my master. I'm sure it will be... enlightening."

As Aetherion finished speaking, the group exchanged uneasy glances. They knew they had to work together if they wanted to survive, but the creature's words had planted seeds of doubt and fear in their minds. What lay ahead, and what would be the cost of their wishes? Only time would tell.

Akimitsu's eyes blazed with anger and fear as he spat out his words.

 "What is this? Why are you doing this?" 

He took a step forward, his fists clenched, but Aetherion didn't flinch.

The creature regarded him with a tilted head, its expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. 

"Don't get ahead of yourself, human," 

it said with a light grin. "You were all chosen because I sensed a deep-seated desire for change within you. You wanted to escape your situations, to break free from the chains that bound you."

Ryo, who had been quietly observing the exchange, spoke up in a flat, emotionless tone. "What's the point of any of this?" he asked, his eyes gazing blankly at the floor. "We're all just going to end up back where we started, anyway."

Aetherion's gaze shifted to Ryo, and its grin grew wider. 

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Ryo," 

it said, its voice dripping with an unsettling enthusiasm. 

"You see, I've brought you all here for a reason. You each have a unique set of circumstances that has driven you to this point. And I'm offering you a chance to change that."

Tsukiko, who had been watching the exchange with a mixture of concern and curiosity, spoke up. "What do you mean by 'circumstances'?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Aetherion's grin faltered for a moment, and it regarded Tsukiko with a curious expression. 

"Ah, Tsukiko, you want to know the specifics, don't you?" it said. "Very well, I'll indulge you. You and Akimitsu, for example, have a certain... history, don't you?" 

The creature's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement, and Akimitsu's face darkened with anger.

Mei Arakawa, who had been standing at the edge of the group, her eyes fixed on some point beyond Aetherion's shoulder, spoke up in a cold, detached tone. 

"I don't see the point of dwelling on the past," she said. "We're here now. Let's focus on survival."

Kenzo Mori, who had been observing the exchange with an air of confident elegance, nodded in agreement. "I concur," he said. 

"We should focus on listening to what the creature is trying to explain."

Koki Matsumoto, who had been eyeing Ryo with a curious expression, spoke up. 

"Hey, Ryo, don't you remember me?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of excitement.

Ryo's expression didn't change, but he raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

Akari Hana, who had been standing at the edge of the group, her eyes fixed on the floor, spoke up in a nervous, stammering tone. 

"I-I don't understand what's going on," she said. "C-can someone explain it to me?"

Hitomi Higashi, who had been watching the exchange with a confident smile, spoke up. "Don't worry, Akari," she said. "We'll figure it out somehow, for now we should keep listening."

As the group stood there, frozen in uncertainty, Aetherion's grin grew wider. 

"Ah, the dynamics of the group are already beginning to emerge," it said. "This is going to be a fascinating experiment."

As the creature spoke, a wall of light materialized before them, displaying a series of cards with intricate characters engraved on each one. The cards seemed to shimmer and glow, radiating an otherworldly energy.

"Scenarios are the paths you will take, the abilities you will wield," Aetherion explained.

 "Each of you will choose a Scenario, and it will become your key to survival. You must learn to master your Scenario, to unlock its secrets and harness its power. The faster you adapt, the better your chances of survival."

The group stood there, staring at the cards in a mixture of awe and trepidation, as Aetherion's laughter echoed through the air.

The air was heavy with anticipation as the group stood before the cards, the words on which seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. 

The flickering glow of the cards cast eerie shadows on the walls, as if the very darkness itself was alive and watching. 

The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the soft hum of the cards as they emitted a gentle, blue-green light.

「Scenario of the magi」, 

「Scenario of the thief」, 

「Scenario of the warrior」, 「Scenario of light」, 

「Scenario of the lich」, 

「Scenario of darkness」, 

「Scenario of the sword」, 

「Scenario of the bard」, 

「Scenario of the alchemist」, 「Scenario of the summoner」, and 「Scenario of the cleric」 

- the words on the cards seemed to whisper secrets to each of the individuals, drawing them in with an irresistible force.

Aetherion's voice was like a rusty gate, scraping against the silence as it spoke. 

"All of you, step forward." 

The group obeyed, their feet moving in unison as they approached the cards. As they did, the cards began to glow brighter, the light enveloping each of them like a shroud. The voices of the cards grew louder, more insistent, until each person could feel the words resonating deep within their chest.

The choice was instinctive, driven by some primal urge that defied rational explanation. Each person reached out, their hand hovering over the card that called to them, before finally making their selection. 

But as they did, the cards seemed to blur out the information, keeping each person's choice a secret.

Aetherion's gaze swept over the group, its eyes glinting with a malevolent light.

 "Alright, now that all of you have chosen your scenarios, I'll let you in on some other information about the Mirror Realm." 

The creature's voice was like a slow-moving river, dripping with menace as it explained the intricacies of the world.

"Magic exists in this world," Aetherion said, "and can be harnessed through the use of Kardiamagia - a magical energy that stems from the heart. Each of your scenarios will have different succession systems but each a 0-5 like progression, showing how much you've learned and how well you can control your abilities. For example, the scenario of the magi, which has magic attribute, has a succession that goes like this, aspirant- conjurer- sage - enchanter - archmage." 

The creature's words were like a web, intricate and complex, drawing the group in with promises of power and danger.

As Aetherion spoke, the group listened with rapt attention, their minds reeling with the implications. Mei's eyes grew wide with excitement, her face set in a determined expression. Koki's gaze was fixed intently on the creature, his eyes burning with a fierce light. Akimitsu's face was a mask of calm, but his eyes betrayed a hint of fear.

The creature continued, its voice weaving a spell of darkness and foreboding.

 "Not all scenarios have a magic attribute," it said. "Some will use Kardiamagia to enhance the wielder, granting them abilities that defy explanation." 

Aetherion's words were like a cold wind, sending shivers down the spines of the group.

As the creature spoke of the beasts and wildlife that inhabited the Mirror Realm, the group's expressions grew more somber. 

"Everything in this world exists because of Kardiamagia," Aetherion said. 

"Even the plant life is self-aware, and will wither upon contact with human skin due to the Kardiamagia emitted by it." 

Roy's eyes flickered at this, his face pale as he remembered his initial experience with the plants.

The creature's words painted a picture of a world that was both beautiful and terrifying, where the laws of reality were twisted and distorted. The group listened, entranced, as Aetherion spoke of the different danger levels of the beasts - crawlers, lesser beasts, spectres, night mares, domain owners, and divine Kardia. Each level brought with it a increase in intelligence, strength, and mystical abilities, making the creatures more formidable and more terrifying, he pointed out that a icon on their head would have different colors which represented their difficulty".

As Aetherion finished speaking, the group felt a sense of trepidation. They knew that they were in for a journey that would test their limits, push them to the edge of sanity and beyond. 

Aetherion then gave them books which contained more information about the beasts they would soon encounter.

The creature's parting words were like a death sentence, hanging in the air like a challenge.

 "The first page of your chapter will begin in 2 minutes. Your objective is to kill 3 crawlers and 1 lesser beast in an hour, the area "the dark forest caliginia" you will be teleported to has Kardia beasts from danger level crawler to lesser beast, but there's no garauntee you won't come across a beast of a higher danger level. Failure to achieve this goal before the time given will result in death. If you succeed, Your reward would be food and trait upgrades, Your first page difficulty is mild."

The group exchanged nervous glances, their hearts racing with anticipation. They knew that they had to work together if they wanted to survive, but they also knew that the Mirror Realm would not be kind to them. The clock was ticking, and their journey was about to begin.