Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

"...Um, hello?"

So she raised her little hand and waved at the girl.

"..."

There was no response. The girl who looked exactly like Miko remained seated, staring at her without moving.

It feels like a doll, but why is it a doll that looks exactly like me? Could it be that its ability is to copy the appearance of anyone it sees? Hmm, I don't understand...

"Um, can you talk?"

After a brief hesitation, Jianzi tried to speak to the girl again.

"..."

Still no response.

There wasn't even a blink; there was absolutely no response.

What... what's going on? Is this eerie creature statue-shaped?

After two unsuccessful attempts to communicate, Jianzi became somewhat hesitant. She couldn't find a way to escape, and she dared not wander off. After all, this thing was constantly watching her; what if she ran out of its sight or strayed even a little too far and triggered the rules, causing it to chase after her? She didn't think she had any way of escaping a monster of this level on her own.

So, the only option left is to try physical contact.

After a brief moment of hesitation and reflection, the girl decided to choose the bravest path.

She slowly stood up and cautiously approached the girl, step by step, gradually closing the distance between them.

"..."

The girl who looked exactly like Miko Yotsuya raised her head slightly as Miko herself stood up, maintaining eye contact with her, but otherwise showed no further reaction.

I have this feeling that no matter what I do, this thing won't react. How should I put it? It's less like a ghost and more like a doll. What exactly is this thing that mimics my appearance?

As he pondered, he saw Zi's footsteps slowly approaching, until he stood in front of the girl.

Still no response.

This person is practically glued to their seat. It's so strange. What's going on?

"Hello?"

Having already stood in front of the girl, Miko made one last attempt to communicate with her verbally.

"..."

There was still no response.

The girl simply sat there blankly the whole time, maintaining that posture.

Seeing that she no longer hesitated, she took a deep breath and finally reached out her hand, slowly touching the girl in front of her.

She had mentally prepared herself for the other person to transform into a monster and pounce on her, or to suddenly turn around and grab her. But until she actually touched the other person, the girl simply sat in the same spot, remaining motionless.

Touched.

Jianzi's fingers gently touched the girl's body.

"what……"

In that instant, my consciousness seemed to become slightly hazy, as if something had seeped into my senses.

My thoughts quickly became confused.

The fragments of consciousness that Gao Hai had planted in the mental realm beforehand began to disintegrate one after another.

At this moment, regardless of whether Yotsuya Miko regretted it or what other thoughts she had, she couldn't help but recall everything again.

moon.

I saw a red moon.

The red moon illuminates the entire earth and the entire planet.

People looked up at the red moon.

Everyone's gaze was completely captivated by the red moon.

The color is as red as blood.

Then, flames ignited.

The first thing to shatter was the original moon.

Then the Earth's crust crumbled little by little, the mantle collapsed, the core broke apart, and the entire planet was pulverized by an irresistible and terrifying force.

The red light is spreading.

The sun went out.

Every planet lost its original form and vanished into nothingness in that red light.

In the sky, one by one the twinkling stars began to disappear, while blood-red light gradually filled the dark universe, slowly multiplying and eroding the original appearance of this world, replacing it.

In the end, there were no more stars, no more vibrant things. Only a single, blood-red light covered the empty universe.

nothingness.

Pure nothingness.

Whether she wanted to accept it or not, she saw true nothingness at that moment.

"Ugh... Ugh!"

Jianzi suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Those images did not contain any spiritually polluting power.

Despite its strong memory-blocking effect, strangely, this information didn't cause any mental pollution for Jianzi. The whole process was like watching a movie, only seeing a series of consecutive images.

However, an indescribable fear still gripped the girl's heart.

After witnessing that scene and that event, Miko's rationality nearly collapsed, and she almost lost the strength to stand.

"what is that?"

She couldn't help but ask.

"Mom, what's that?"

A girl's voice was asking a question, but it was unclear who she was asking.

Jianzi suddenly woke up.

There was no girl sitting in the chair in front of her who looked exactly like her.

On this chair is just a broken little mirror.

It's a small mirror that I don't know who it once belonged to; now all that's left are broken fragments.

The mirror reflected Miko Yotsuya's image, which is why she saw someone exactly like her sitting here. If someone else were sitting here, they would probably see another version of themselves, but others might not possess Miko's powerful sensory abilities, and therefore wouldn't be able to perceive the mirror's existence and see its true form by touching their own illusion, just as Miko has.

It can be confirmed.

The mirror is the "object of the abyss that has not yet been returned".

Hidden deep within the blood pool of Bydos is this fragment of a mirror.

This unassuming little mirror fragment, which seems to have no connection to any extraordinary or powerful being, is the so-called lost item that needs to be returned to the Abyss in the [Sacrifice Game] quest.

But why?

Why would it be a fragment of a small mirror?

Seeing that Zi was staring at that thing, he couldn't help but be a little stunned for a moment.

Although the small mirror is now broken, some residual patterns remain on it. Judging from these patterns, Miko thinks it must be a fragment of a small dressing mirror that a girl used.

How could such a small thing be related to the Abyss? How much would one of these cost in a supermarket? Is it really that valuable?

And why would she lose all memories associated with just seeing such an insignificant little thing?

While she was thinking, the girl reached out her hand again.

Even if there were potential dangers, she couldn't worry about that now. The girl was determined to resolve the confusion weighing on her mind and figure out what was going on. She had a vague premonition that if she missed this opportunity to uncover the mystery here, she might never have such a chance again, such a perfect opportunity.

Gently, Miko's hand touched the mirror.

At the same time, the hand reflected in the mirror pressed against the mirror, as if there was another person in the mirror reaching out to Miko.

pat-

Both fingers touched the mirror surface together, making a soft sound.

The next moment, Miko, sensing something, opened her eyes wide.

I saw it.

I saw that blood-red light again.

The crimson light, which had crushed everything, shone on the bustling and prosperous city.

A girl who looked no older than a high school student was walking and chatting with her mother in the city center square when she noticed the arrival of the red light. She looked up at the sky with some confusion.

The next moment, the girl's handbag fell to the ground with a slightly heavy "thud." The zipper of the handbag broke, and a small mirror fell out and smashed to the ground with a "crack."

No one picked up the bag again.

Because under that bloody light, the entire city was deserted, and there was no longer any life.

From that moment on, everything in this city belonged to that crimson light, to the Abyss.

click-

Beside the shattered small mirror, a larger shard rolled and fell into a crack in a manhole cover in the square, disappearing into the darkness.

Once again out of her sensory state, Miko looked at the shards of mirror she held in her hand, her mind still replaying what she had just seen.

Can't go wrong.

The girl's breathing became rapid and unsteady.

She could never mistake that place, the place she had just seen.

That city shrouded in blood-red light, as if it itself had merged into the blood-red light, was the Blood City that his predecessor Gao Hai would inevitably enter and exit once every time he traveled back in time!