That kind of “haunted house” attraction is scary when you go in alone, but not so much when you go in with a friend. With three people, you can all encourage each other, and the spooky atmosphere is completely diluted.
Often, people just joke and chat as they walk out.
After all, everyone knows deep down that it’s all fake.
Test of Courage events are much the same. Especially in this Group B, which is actually quite “lively”—Clara not only has Sista by her side, she’s also got Nyx chattering in her head, and even in the distance, Lucia is happily hugging the rabbit combat unit.
So for her, there’s really nothing scary about this event.
Even if she drew the solo lot, as long as Nyx keeps her company with endless chatter, she won’t feel afraid. No matter how terrifying it gets, can it really be scarier than the dreamworlds created by Chessia?
She’s actually a little bored, so she suggests,
“How about we chat about something to liven things up?”
“Aren’t you not scared?”
Sista, however, thinks Clara is only saying that because she’s scared.
“Hey, of course I’m not scared! I just think we should say something, or the viewers in the livestream will get bored!”
Clara lifts her chin and puts her hands on her hips as she says this.
Sista nods and asks,
“Then what should we talk about?”
The drone is filming them the entire time, and they’re both wearing microphones, so they can’t talk about recent events—since the resort’s crisis hasn’t been made public yet. They’re left to awkwardly discuss things like “What do you like to eat?” or “What hobbies do you have?”
Then—
“Miss Clara, you can draw?”
“Heh, you could say it’s a hobby of mine. I’ll draw you a portrait sometime!”
Since she’s never had a series successfully serialized, she can only call it a “hobby.”
“Oh! That’s amazing!”
Sista praises her, and Clara smugly stands with hands on her hips.
But what Clara doesn’t realize is that the picture in Sista’s mind is of Clara sitting at a child’s desk, her head bobbing as she uses colored crayons to doodle on paper—a scene full of childish fun…
Usually, loli + drawing can only lead to that kind of image.
To enhance the horror atmosphere, the streetlights along the mountain path have all been switched off, replaced with old-fashioned lanterns. But they’re really just lantern-shaped lights—after all, they need to prevent forest fires.
Even so, the lanterns swaying in the evening breeze do add a strange, eerie mood.
“They really went all out with this… Waa?!”
Suddenly, a wisp of ghostly blue fire flickers on the distant stone steps.
Before Clara can even react, it vanishes into thin air.
“Hmph! T-They’re just playing these little tricks!”
Though her heart skips a beat, she tries to act tough.
[Your heart rate is rising.] Nyx exposes Clara.
[Don’t run your mouth. No one will think you don’t exist just because you’re quiet.]
Clara is exasperated, and Nyx simply shuts up and enjoys the show.
Sista looks at Clara with some confusion.
Since she doesn’t know Nyx exists, Sista can’t tell who Clara’s talking to. In the setting of a test of courage, her behavior actually seems a bit possessed.
Could she have seen something unclean?
So Sista, too, gets caught up in the atmosphere.
Since the mountain is man-made, it isn’t very tall.
The two of them climb a few platforms and soon reach the halfway point. Looking back, they can see the night beach illuminated by landscape lights.
The cool breeze soothes Clara’s slightly uneasy heart.
“Miss Clara, look over there!”
On the way up, she’s been searching for collectibles hidden around.
She finally spots something and instinctively grabs Clara’s hand.
Following Sista’s finger, Clara looks up and sees a teddy bear, completely out of place in the surrounding woods, hanging from a tree. That must be the collectible the Western Dharma Master mentioned—after all, it’s not like there’s a tree that grows teddy bears, right?
But the tree is a bit tall.
Even on tiptoes, Sista can’t reach it. For Clara, it’s even more out of reach.
Using an exoskeleton or squid broom would easily do the trick, but that would break the rules set by Okata Dharma—she’d forbidden anyone from using Hero powers during the game.
“I’ll climb up and get it,” Sista says, glancing at Clara’s swimsuit. It really doesn’t look like climbing attire, and the rough bark might scrape unprotected skin or tear her swimsuit.
Clara doesn’t object, just reminds her,
“Alright, but be careful.”
Although Sista looks slender, she is an artificial human after all. Her physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people—she’s the perfect human specimen.
Next.
Climbing the tree goes smoothly. Sista quickly grabs the teddy bear hanging at the treetop and throws it to Clara, but just then—
Crack.
The thin branch under Sista gives a dangerous creak.
There’s hardly any time to react. Instinctively, Clara spreads her arms and even stretches out little tentacles from her hair, trying to catch Sista, who is much taller than herself.
“Ouch—”
But she can’t manage it at all. Clara is crushed to the ground like a human cushion, but she still manages to soften Sista’s fall. Neither of them is hurt.
“Miss Clara, I’m sorry.”
“It’s nothing. As long as you’re okay.”
Luckily, Sista is light. If it were Red General Star, Clara would’ve lost half her life from the impact.
Wait, if it were Red General Star, she wouldn’t bother to catch her at all. Even if she smashed the stone steps, she’d be fine—the muscles on her body are like steel rods.
“Eh? Hold on, don’t get up just yet…”
Clara notices a problem.
Sista’s T-shirt under her sun jacket was torn by a branch in the fall, ripping a huge hole and exposing her bandeau underneath. She can’t show that on camera.
So, they maintain their pose—Sista pressing down on Clara—so that from the livestream’s angle, it looks like they’re hurt and can’t get up for the moment.
Sista is at a loss, realizing her situation can’t be exposed.
Clara reassures her, “Don’t panic, I’ll think of something.”
Nyx, quickly tell Okata Dharma to cut the camera feed!
[Microphones are blocked.]
Clara urges silently in her mind. After a moment, Nyx replies,
[The audience is watching you right now. Cutting the feed would be suspicious. Besides, the livestream is delayed, so if something really goes wrong, the director will handle it right away.]
So what do you suggest? Create a new outfit for her?
[Can’t create new items. I can only temporarily restore the data of her current clothing to perfect condition.]
Then do that!
Nyx falls silent for a moment, then says,
[Nyx needs three minutes.]
Three minutes? Don’t you usually create things in an instant?!
[Repairing and creating are different. Mending a porcelain vase is much more complicated than firing a new one. I hope you understand.]
[Please keep covering her for three minutes. Best to just keep holding her like this.]
Clara can’t let Sista be exposed here.
Even if Okata Dharma has safeguards on her end, Clara doesn’t know what’s happening at the director’s station. If they slip up and broadcast this, it would be a disaster.
“Sista…”
Clara whispers softly into Sista’s ear,
“For the next three minutes, hold me tight.”
Well this is a sticky situation