Chapter 27: Wonderland

“What… is this?”

“An amusement park…? Why…?”

Both Nina-chan and I expressed our bewilderment.

Beyond the aluminum door was a colossal Ferris wheel, probably several hundred meters tall. Around the Ferris wheel, roller coaster tracks wound like serpents, and a gigantic carousel, seemingly three times my height, continued to spin with large horses.

Furthermore, in the distance, a massive ship swung like a pendulum, and next to it, a spinning swing set resembling UFOs revolved continuously.

We climbed the stairs, still puzzled, and looked ahead beyond the door.

There, in the twilight, an amusement park stretched out as far as the eye could see on the horizon.

“Could it be… a dream?”

“N-no, I don’t think so…”

Nina-chan mumbled quietly. However, I thought the possibility was low.

It was too real to be a dream, and there was no explanation for both Nina-chan and me seeing the same thing.

Unintentionally, I extended my “Guiding Thread Silvate” and closed the door.

Instantly, the amusement park, which had seemed so real a moment ago, vanished as if it were an illusion, and the midday sun shone through from behind the aluminum door.

Certainly, the evening scenery we had just seen was no longer visible through the frosted glass.

“What was that?”

“I don’t know…”

We were both bewildered by this bizarre sight.

However, the red letters that read “Welcome!” on the door were still there.

“…Shall we try opening it one more time?”

I opened the door again using my “Guiding Thread Silvate” and gazed at the vast amusement park beyond.

The sky over the twilight amusement park was filled with colorful balloons. No, they weren’t floating in the sky; they were suspended at a certain height, as if there were an invisible ceiling.

“It really is an amusement park.”

“…Could everyone from school be here?”

“Who knows…? We were just told to come here…”

The writings in the classroom and the words on the door, neither of them mentioned that everyone from school would be here.

But it was a fact that there was nowhere else to go.

“That’s true. Since there doesn’t seem to be anyone else.”

While holding onto my clothes, Nina-chan generated magic power in her hands.

In that moment, the magic mist transformed into small fairies. They were the same as the fairies I summoned earlier, leprechauns.

There were nearly ten of them.

“Go and check if there’s anyone else.”

“Okay!”

Nina-chan’s leprechauns responded with cheerful voices and dashed away.

As I watched them rush off, we stood still in front of the door.

“But there are no monsters here.”

“Huh?”

“Look. There aren’t any monsters anywhere, right?”

Nina-chan pointed this out, and I took another look around the amusement park.

Indeed, the amusement rides were moving, but there was nothing else in motion.

There were no people, and strangely, there were no monsters either.

We were perplexed by this unusual situation.

As we were perplexed, the leprechaun on Nina-chan’s shoulder spoke.

“Nina! Nina! There’s nothing here! It’s all blank!”

“It’s not entirely blank. There are buildings.”

“Yes! Yes! It’s not entirely blank! But there’s no one here!”

“I see…”

Nina sighed softly, looking troubled. The fact that none of the scattered leprechauns found anything meant that there really was nothing here. Could such a thing be possible? 

As we were thinking this in front of the door, suddenly, we were pushed forward with a strong force.

“Eh, what?!”

Nina-chan let out a startled cry due to the sudden impact.

As our bodies were thrust forward, we crossed the threshold of the door and entered the amusement park.

In mid-air, we twisted our bodies and looked back.

There, in the doorframe of the gate to the amusement park, there floated an aluminum door, as if it were a collage image, and behind the door, there was a single monster, its arm extending like a blooming flower.

Despite being a monster, it didn’t show even a hint of hostility and energetically waved its hand.

“Have a goooood tiiiime~!”

As the palm of the hand opened with a ‘pop,’ a mouth appeared, and it closed the door while saying something like an amusement park member.

“….!”

I fired my “Guiding Thread Silvate” like a quick-draw quick shot.

However, before my “Guiding Thread Silvate” could grab the doorknob, the monster, the door, and everything disappeared.

In their place were the amusement park’s gate and a straight road that extended to the horizon.

“Itsuki, what just happened?”

“…We got trapped, it seems.”

“This can’t be…”

Nina-chan’s face gradually darkened.

Her previously furrowed brows relaxed, and instead, she slowly opened her eyes wider, her breathing becoming slightly shallower.

I heard a sound like air escaping even though I was breathing. In a panic, I grabbed Nina-chan’s hand.

“It’s okay. There should be a way out of here.”

“H-How…?”

“For now, let’s try walking.”

I said that and took Nina-chan’s hand. I didn’t have a specific plan.

But—there were monsters in this “amusement park.” Without a doubt, they were here.

The fact that there were monsters overflowing in the school and the disappearance of everyone else seemed to be connected to this “amusement park.” That’s what I thought.

I didn’t know what this amusement park was, but only magic could cause something so strange, and it had to be the work of monsters. So, I thought that if we walked through the amusement park, they would appear.

“…Hm?”

Before I could carry out that plan, the sun had set.

“Whoops, whoops! It’s already nighttime!”

As the sun sank, a voice fell from above.

“Early, isn’t it? A guest is here.”

“Intruders, perhaps?”

“Take a closer look! Aren’t they children?”

“All the children!”

“Welcome, customers!”

I initially thought the monster resembled a bagworm, a vague impression.

The monster floated in the air, wrapped entirely in “Guiding Thread Silvate” and bound in black fabric. However, the “Guiding Thread Silvate” extended toward the ceiling, making it look like it was hanging rather than floating.

And through the black fabric, countless masks could be seen.

Yes, masks.

Japanese masks like oni, ojou, noh, and kitsune masks. And next to them… I recognized it. It was a Venetian mask that I had printed for a university festival poster when I worked at a printing company.

“Welcome!”

“Welcome!”

“We welcome you!”

“Welcome to Wonderland!”

A monster covered in various colorful masks was floating against the backdrop of the full moon, which had appeared out of nowhere. As it floated, the masks all over its body began chattering loudly.

“This is the Land of Happiness!”

“A world just for you!”

“It’s a world of dreams!”

“Wonderland!”

“Why did you… invite us here?”

“Why?”

“Why? That’s a strange question!”

Multiple voices responded to my question, making me feel quite strange.

“All the children…”

“Will be happy.”

“They have rights!”

“Ahaha!”

While saying this, the masks spun around. They revolved in a circle.

“But now…”

“It’s nighttime!”

“It’s already night.”

“It’s dark.”

“It’s scary!”

Listening to the voices of the monsters, I measured the distance.

 It was floating in the air, so it was difficult to measure, but it was probably several hundred meters.

“At night…”

“It’s time to sleep!”

“Children sleep.”

“It’s time for dreams.”

“It’s a world of dreams!”

In that case, I could use “Oborozuki” (Hazy Moon).

Thinking that, as I was about to extend “Guiding Thread Silvate”…

“Sleep…”

My consciousness drifted away.

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