Chapter 12
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High above the gargantuan white bone coliseum, a captivating aquatic creature glided through the air with a serene, otherworldly elegance.
Its round, plump body was adorned with perfectly layered, pitch-black scales that shimmered in the ambient light with a golden luster at every subtle turn. Deep, azure eyes observed the realm with tranquil calm.
Its massive tail rippled and folded over itself, resembling an expansive, translucent gown performing an endless, weightless dance.
Suspended in the atmospheric expanse, the anthracite, jet-black goldfish moved through the heights with the grace of an otherworldly spirit. It danced gracefully through the air, before it turned illusory and vanished.
____
Deep within the thick travertine walls of the amphitheater lay a secret, spacious chamber. The cubiculum offered a cool, sensory contrast to the sun-baked, blood-soaked arena outside.
Smooth slabs of polished Numidian obsidian and deep red porphyry marble lined the lower half of the walls, reflecting the flickering, warm, blue glow of oil lamps shaped like mythical beasts.
Above the marble wainscoting, the plaster walls came alive with vibrant frescoes, where delicate architectural illusions, sprawling green landscapes, and golden-hued depictions of twenty deities seemed to expand the enclosed room.
The air carried the heavy, sweet scent of burning frankincense and myrrh, expertly masking the distant, metallic tang of blood and viscera wafting up from the hypogeum below.
The floor formed a flawless tapestry of opus sectile mosaic, its sharp geometric tiles of green Spartan basalt and white Carrara marble laid out in hypnotic, repeating squares.
At the center of this opulent stillness rested the imperial bisellium—a double-width throne of dark, polished black-wood inlaid with shimmering tortoiseshell and ivory, piled high with plush cushions of Tyrian purple silk.
When the heavy, gold-fringed velvet drapes at the room's threshold were drawn shut, the deafening roar of fifty thousand spectators subsided into a muffled, rhythmic thrumming, transforming the chamber into a silent, shadowy sanctuary.
Mnemoscopus sat upon the imperial bisellium, as his graceful face leaned against the palm of his left hand.
In front of this figure hovered an illusory, corporeal miniature projection of a stage, surrounded by a ringed sea of crimson.
One side of the stage resembled a pit made of fine white sand and black glass.
Stood atop that sand was the lone figure of a man, a conical hat adorned upon his head, with bandages that wrapped the parts of his skin left uncovered by his robes.
Seated upon the imperial bisellium, Mnemoscopus seemed deeply interested in this man. After all, the mortal had just performed an action he did not expect him to accomplish.
On the opposite side of the stage lay deep, terrifying crevices, scattered rock, and debris. Upon a fairly flat section of the plateau, two human figures lay motionless... one male, the other female.
Mnemoscopus watched them silently, looking down at the young maiden as a gentle, humble, fatherly smile formed on his graceful face. His expression was somber.
With a soft sigh, he traced his gaze to the male human a few paces away from her. The young man possessed dual-colored hair, and body-wide birthmarks stretched across his torso.
The silhouette focused his gaze entirely upon the male human, peering deep into his soul body.
Apart from what he had noticed earlier, he focused on the astral projection of a portion of the human's soul. That astral projection was currently encased within Mnemoscopus's own nested domain; Engram Chōra.
The human on the stage remained unconscious and alive but entirely unresponsive, while he faced the severe repercussions of ryoku depletion.
Mnemoscopus was intrigued by this individual too but chose not to investigate further. He had no reason to, anyway.
Until...
Without knowing why, and without feeling any alarm from it, he received a sudden premonition of a possible boon that would arise if he were to perceive deeper.
He did not doubt this feeling, nor did he assume the instinct was wrong. His premonitions had never once been mistaken. Never.
So for what reason did he doubt himself now? Having none, he chose to look much more thoroughly.
Using his authority, he perceived a thin, incorporeal, lustrous, and loose perceptual thread was intertwined with the astral projection stuck within his own nested domain. The end of the thread seemed completely imperceptible as it extended upward and vanished.
A wide, playful grin appeared on the golden face of the silhouette.
"Hahaha, clever woman... should I assume you intend for me to take the bait?" the silhouette chuckled, speaking to the empty room.
He stretched out a hand, touching the thin, incorporeal, loose perceptual thread intertwined with the astral projection.
The moment his fingers brushed the strand and infused his own ryoku into it, the figure slowly turned illusory and vanished.
Simultaneously, a captivating anthracite goldfish, with its golden sheen glistening against its scales and silky fins, appeared.
It swam through the air for a moment, then, turning incorporeal, vanished as well.
The cubiculum then returned to its serene, cold, and silent emptiness.
___
In a vast white plane, large pillars were spaced throughout the landscape, extending into the white haze above.
The floor consisted of a wide expanse of pale stone with no visible edges. Above it, the structural, gargantuan pillars gave off a deeply ancient feeling.
A human silhouette slowly turned corporeal and lusory. The golden-faced, androgynous figure found itself standing within this boundless white expanse.
The figure whistled, seemingly impressed. It looked around for a moment just as an anthracite goldfish slowly turned lusory, gracefully dancing and swimming through the air.
The golden-faced figure looked at the goldfish-like creature and then looked away. He paid the creature little attention, having no immediate reason to do so, yet he found the entity's presence remarkably soothing.
Perhaps it was due to the graceful dance it performed while gliding through the air, or the cool, relaxing gust of wind that followed every stroke of its fins.
"Oh, if it isn't the great thousand-eyed witness, Mnemoscopus.
To what do I owe the pleasure of your visage?"
The voice was cool, regal, and laced with an effortless authority. He spun around to find a woman with long, flowing hair and a piercing gaze watching him from a distance.
She sat upon a white Victorian wrought-iron garden swing adorned with intricate scrollwork and filigree. Held gently in her right hand was a steaming cup of tea.
In front of her stood a small, round, white garden table of a similar design to the swing. A cylindrical cup rested on the side furthest from her, steam still rising from it, bellowing its rich aroma into the air.
Next to the small round table stood another empty Victorian wrought-iron garden swing, a soft white cushion resting on its seat.
The entire scene was nestled within a garden of white grass and white plants. It was a world of pure white. And in the distance, those gargantuan pillars continued to project their ethereal, ancient presence.
The captivating anthracite goldfish appeared once more, gliding toward Noburu, who paid it no direct attention. She did, however, find it strangely soothing.
"Oh my, please drop the pleasantries, Goddess of Traversal, Noburu Tenjo," Mnemoscopus answered, a grin spreading across his face.
Mnemoscopus then proceeded to walk toward the empty Victorian wrought-iron garden swing. As he stepped forward, a trail of vibrant color painted the white flora; the white plants turned a lush green, and the white grass followed suit. Even the rose bushes saw their blossoms turn a bright, vivid red.
Mnemoscopus left a trail of brilliant color across a realm that otherwise resembled a giant, white canvas.
The moment he sat upon the Victorian swing, the white iron turned to obsidian with purple accents, while the cushion beneath him shifted to a deep crimson.
He lifted the cup of tea, taking a deep breath to enjoy the aroma before he proceeded to take a slow sip.
Holding the cup, he asked,
"Quite a lavish place you have going on, Noburu. I wonder why I hadn't been invited all this time?"
Noburu Tenjo took a sip from her own cup, her expression indifferent until a small smile appeared on her soft, red lips.
"Let's get to business, Mnemoscopus... what exactly do you want?"
A grin played on Mnemoscopus's golden face, and he chuckled. "Always straight to the point, huh? Learn to loosen up from time to time." He paused, adjusting his posture.
"Regardless, I should be asking you that very same question. You're the Goddess of Traversal, after all."
Mnemoscopus gestured toward his dazzling, eye-catching eyes.
"The loose, intricate, perceptual thread, though hidden well, cannot escape my gaze. I hold a rather massive share of the 'Authority of Perception'. Even though you possess a share of the 'Authority of Perception' and a rather large share of the 'Authority of Traversal', I strongly doubt you were that careless."
"Careless?" Noburu interjected, raising a single eyebrow.
"Leaving such a thread that connects to you laying carelessly around, and it being well within my domain, for that matter.
Furthermore, I shouldn't have been seated here in front of you; it was well within your power to revoke my entry into this place. So tell me... what is the little scheming goddess plotting?"
Mnemoscopus raised his cup to take another sip, tracing his gaze back to Noburu.
Above their heads, the gliding anthracite goldfish drifted past them with effortless grace. A soft gust of wind blew by, causing the swings to sway slightly.
Noburu remained silent for a moment. She shrugged, then spoke,
"Well, to be honest, I wondered why you didn't revoke my perception of the engram Chōra, so I simply maintained it. And indeed, I could have easily blocked your entry to this place."
"Well? Then why didn't you?" he asked.
Noburu took a sip of tea before responding.
"Let's say I had a premonition that our meeting would be beneficial." She glanced at Mnemoscopus, tilting her head and pinching her chin thoughtfully.
Crossing her legs, she continued, "Anyways, now that you're here, let's talk business... I need a favor. I need you to maintain the nested domain, the engram Chōra, for the time being."
A brief pause hung in the air.
"As well as make a contract with Kurael. I need to keep an eye on him through you."
Mnemoscopus leaned back, raising his index finger. "For the first request... I agree, on one condition, however... You have to maintain the connection with Kuroshiraga, since them leaving my area of influence will delay the feed and loosen the connection. I preferred watching my show with crisp visuals!"
Mnemoscopus then raised a second finger and continued, "Regarding the second request, I was already planning on doing so, anyway. So, I have no other conditions apart from the one I have already mentioned."
His expression became serene and distant, and he let out a quiet sigh.
"I, too, have my reasons to keep an eye on him."
"Oh?" Noburu added, taking another sip from her cup. "Then I guess we have a deal."
To the side of the Victorian swing, the figure of a tall man turned corporeal. Beside her now stood a refined older man in an elegant tuxedo. Within his hand, he held a kettle, steam whistling softly from its nozzle.
He poured the steaming liquid into Noburu's cup, then set the kettle upon the small round table.
While Mnemoscopus looked down at his cup, he traced his sight over to see who had placed the kettle on the table.
His golden face paled, and his lustrous, reflective eyes widened. His expression was a mix of absolute shock and a hint of terror.
He looked at Noburu Tenjo, then looked right back at the prestigious old man in the elegant tuxedo.
"Ug... um... O... Old man? Sir, what a surprise to see you... here..."
Mnemoscopus looked down at his bare wrist, palming his face as he nervously proclaimed,
"My... haha, would you look at the time. I must take my leave b—"
Before he could even complete his sentence, his figure turned entirely illusory and vanished from the realm. Above their heads, the anthracite goldfish also turned illusory, slowly fading from view.
Oliver Kurosu looked up, seemingly paying close attention to the strange aquatic creature as it disappeared. He then looked down at Noburu as she indifferently took another sip of her tea.
He asked in his deep, distinguished voice,
"That is quite a peculiar, unique creature, is it not?"
Noburu nodded her head in agreement. "Are you referring to the floating anthracite fish?... If so, then, yeah... I agreed. It kindly eased the tension. It was rather... soothing." She took another sip.
Oliver chuckled, a reminiscent expression crossing his features. "Mnemoscopus does have a tendency to collect intriguing things. He has quite an eye for them."
Noburu almost choked on her tea. She looked up at Oliver, and Oliver looked back down at her.
They both burst into laughter.
Deep within the thick travertine walls of the white bone coliseum, back inside the secret, spacious chamber, Mnemoscopus's figure slowly turned luminous and corporeal.
He took a seat upon his double-width throne of dark, polished black-wood, sinking into the plush cushions of Tyrian purple silk.
He let out a heavy sigh, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling. His expression was one of deep reminiscence.
"I didn't expect to see the old man... if it wasn't for that rather interesting fish, I would have passed out on the spot, haha."
Mnemoscopus leaned forward, tilting his head and pinching his chin. 'When I have the time, I should ask where she found such a specimen,' he mused internally.
"Next time, I guess."
___
High above the gargantuan white bone coliseum, the captivating aquatic creature glided through the air with its serene, otherworldly elegance.
The anthracite, jet-black goldfish, with the golden sheen glistening against its scales and silky fins, drifted effortlessly.
Its massive tail rippled and folded over itself, resembling an expansive, translucent gown performing an endless, weightless dance.
It danced gracefully and eloquently high in the air, before turning completely illusory and vanishing from sight.
___
End of chapter