Only I Can See The End

41  A Strange Girl

The girl had a pale face, her skin akin to porcelain, and long white hair with hints of pink, resembling the delicate petals of a cherry blossom tree.

Her bright pink eyes immediately caught my attention. They seemed to draw me in, making my heart race for no apparent reason, as if they held a secret I was destined to uncover.

Even the <Visionary> Title couldn't calm the rush of emotions I experienced.

I wondered who this girl was, as her curious gaze fixed on me with an intensity that felt like it could pierce through my very soul.

She wore a black leather jacket over a crop top and shorts, giving off a tomboyish vibe that contrasted the chaos surrounding us.

Unlike the others nearby, who were panicking and fleeing, she remained surprisingly composed.

 Her posture was relaxed as if she were in control of the turmoil around us. Her gaze, though, was what intrigued me the most.

It remained continuously fixed on me, as if there were some hidden secrets written on my face that only she could decipher, leaving me with an unsettling feeling that our meeting was not a mere coincidence.

"Um, why are you staring at me?" I finally broke the silence, my voice quivering with a mix of anxiety and curiosity.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Her response confused me, her lips curving into a playful smile.

 Wasn't she just staring at me? Her reply made it seem like she was pretending not to.

"You're also staring at me, right? I didn't ask you why, did I?" She asked, smirking.

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as continued to stare at me intensely.

"W-well, that is..."

I struggled to find words.

Why was I so flustered? What was happening? Even facing Demons, where every second meant life or death, I had never felt such overwhelming, unfamiliar emotions.

I had never fumbled so badly.

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'Is she more dangerous than those Demons? Or am I just reacting like this because…' I couldn't help but wonder.

The girl in front of me was undeniably attractive, her appearance was both captivating and stunning.

"It's okay to stare, sleepyhead. Don't worry... I won't bite," she said, tapping my shoulder with an empathetic smile.

I was puzzled. Why was she calling me sleepyhead? Did she think I was sleeping when we appeared here? I tried to explain, "No, I was just—"

"It's fine," she interrupted, her grin widening and her eyes narrowing, making me feel strangely exhilarated.

"Well, I'm off now. It's time to meet a couple of others like you."

As she let go of my shoulder and moved away, I felt an unexplainable pull towards her.

 I had to control myself to avoid being overwhelmed by the intense feeling. I didn't want her to leave, but before I could stop myself, I blurted out, "I doubt you'll find many who are like me."

I immediately regretted saying that. I should have just kept quiet and let her go.

Her face showed a hint of surprise before transforming into an alluring smile, making her seem both fascinating and intimidating.

"I'm well aware, sleepyhead. You're quite an interesting boy."

"What?" I stammered.

"I think it'll be fun if we meet again. Don't forget me until then," she said, waving and disappearing into the crowd.

"W-wait... what's your name?" I asked in a hushed voice, not wanting to draw attention to myself.

~Zzt~ A sudden sensation coursed through my head, and I felt a sharp pulsating sting.

~I'll tell you my name next time... Mikey.~

My eyes widened in shock.

'How did she know my name? The only ones who should have known it were Lisa and her friends, who were all dead.'

 A few acquaintances also knew my name, but this girl didn't seem familiar. Perhaps we had met online, but I couldn't recall anyone who would recognize my appearance.

There was one weirdo I chatted with one time but I'm sure that person had no idea what I looked like.

And then, there was the nickname "Sleepyhead."

'I initially thought it was because she thought I was sleeping, but...'

What if she had seen my Status Window?

 She might have seen my Role, Authority, and even my Skills.

'But when? How?!'

My eyes widened as I recalled how she had been intensely studying me just moments ago.

"Damn it! I messed up," I scolded myself.

It wasn't exactly carelessness; I was just utterly bewildered. I had no idea what was happening until it was too late.

If her ability to see Status Windows was similar to my <Dream>, then was there anything I could have done differently?

"Fuck!" I cursed again. The fact that she also had telepathy added to the problem.

 It felt different from Lisa's telepathy, and she certainly didn't look like Lisa. Besides, Lisa was most likely dead, and she wouldn't have interacted with me the way this stranger had.

'This is too confusing. It's overwhelming,' I thought, my fear growing. I couldn't forget what had happened the last time someone knew so much about me.

It had ended badly.

'No... I can't go through that again,' I told myself firmly.

 I couldn't afford to be eliminated so early in this dangerous situation. After all the effort I had put into surviving and my unwavering determination to keep going, there was no way I could return to those desperate times.

No way!

"No way!" I exclaimed silently.

'I have to find her and figure out how much she knows.'

If she knew too much... enough to be a threat to me, then... then... I would have no other choice but to—

~DING!~

~DING~

~DING~

Pinging sounds resonated suddenly across the vast field, causing a flurry of movement and hushed whispers all around me.

 Like everyone else, I couldn't help but look in the direction of the source of the noise.

It was coming from above.

'Huh? What, or rather, who is that?' I wondered.

Flying high above all of us was a figure that could only be described as angelic.

It had six wings: two veiling its face, two covering its legs, and two allowing it to soar through the sky.

 Its presence was so glorious and magnificent that it momentarily made me forget about the earlier encounter.

"[Greetings, Users. My name is Seraph]," the angel spoke with a melodious voice, the most beautiful I had ever heard. As it did, an eerie silence fell over everyone, enveloping the entire area.

"[You are all currently in the Neutral Area, a precursor to the Ground Floor of the Tower Of Trials]."

Although I couldn't see the angel's face, I assumed it was a female due to the gentle yet mechanical tone of her words, which, despite their mechanical nature, were strangely pleasing to the ear.

"[I will now provide some explanations. Please listen carefully.]"

In utter silence, we all hung on to her every word, unaware of the challenges and hardships that awaited us in the trials ahead.

The enigmatic angel, Seraph, had ushered us into a world filled with mysteries and uncertainties, and as her words washed over us, the sense of wonder and trepidation grew stronger, binding us to a world we had only just begun to fathom.

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[A/N]

Who is this strange girl?

What does she want with Mikey, and just how much does she know?

And finally... what sort of world awaits the survivors of the Tutorial?!