I Was Reincarnated as a Nameless Combatant in a Japanese-style Fantasy Depressive Erotic Game, but the Women Around Me Are All Dangerous, and I Have a Bad Feeling about It

acrifice.

　”I-I apologize…
I'm deeply sorry.”

　With a trembling voice, Suzune submitted.
There was no choice but to submit.
There were no other options.
It was futile.

　”…I hope you understand.
I know.
Keep your loyalty to your master in mind.
However, for now, please restrain yourselves.
Dealing with calamity youkai is a national duty and a collaborative effort.
It cannot be driven solely by personal convenience.
Please refrain from acting rashly.”

　With a glimpse of the maid's prostration, Sumire placated her with a bird-like voice, offering an excuse that hinted at defending her masters' families.
She suggested that she would intercede to ensure they wouldn't face blame.

　”Yes.
Please, take care.”

　Suzune expressed her gratitude with a face that seemed to have crushed a dozen bitter bugs.
It didn't appear that her feelings were mere lip service.
If anything, it was humiliating.
Memories of losing her family in the distant past came to mind.
But…
the fact was that she had no choice.

　Presented with the stark reality, Suzune turned pale, her eyes moistening.
She realized her powerlessness and felt pathetic, trembling with humiliation.

　”…Now then, that wolf over here.
I'll leave this maid to you, alright? She seems to be the attendant accompanying Miss Hotoya and is quite favored.”

　Smiling down at the now cooperative maid, Sumire nodded slightly.
Then, she gave a brief command to Iruka, who was standing beside her, before turning on her heel and leaving the scene, still holding the Onitsuki sisters in her arms.

　She paid no attention to the sobs that emanated from behind her.
However, as she walked towards the tent set up in the rear to put the girls to sleep, she glanced once, only once.

　”…Well then, shall we get a good show?”

　Whispering like a murmur, her words were drowned out by the commotion of the surroundings…

* * *

　'Sob…
sob…'

　'Hey, what's the matter? I'm right here, you know?'

　'Don't you understand? Even though I'm so close…'

　'Hihihi, what's wrong? Can't you see me?'

　”…”

　To the eerie calls that echoed by my ear, or sometimes right beside me, and at times from the ceiling or beneath my feet, I remained silent.
I kept my eyes closed and continued walking along the walls.
I treaded through the labyrinth of mirrors.

　(It was worrying not knowing where each room leads, but…
I got lucky with this one.)

　After being relentlessly chased by youkai through endless corridors in a wretched room, I found solace in jumping into a room with sliding doors whose destination was unknown.
The reason was simple.
The difficulty level of the room I escaped to was low, at least for someone with knowledge of the original work…
assuming everything was accurate.

　The room I arrived in was a vast maze of mirrors.
Every wall, floor, and even the ceiling was covered in mirrors.
I knew the key to safely escaping this room was to avoid looking at the mirrors.
That was all.

　As long as the conditions weren't met, the mirror youkai couldn't directly harm me.
So, I kept my eyes closed and walked along the walls of the maze.
The mirror youkai attempted to entice me with various words, trying to make me open my eyes and show me the mirrors, but they were all illusions.

　If the settings were correct, there were no traps or wandering youkai in this labyrinth.
There were only those who tried to deceive or provoke me with their voices, seemingly originating from within the mirrors.
It truly was a room designed to catch newcomers off guard.

　In normal circumstances, being trapped inside 'Mayoiga' and continuously closing my sight in a room filled with mirrors would not be an easy choice.
If the youkai were to ambush me or catch me off guard from behind, remaining unresponsive to the voices coming from all directions would also be challenging.
Even I would have fallen into their trap in an instant, had I not possessed prior knowledge.

　By the way, it's best to avoid unnecessary conversations, even without making eye contact.
While they couldn't directly read my thoughts like a psychic youkai, they were tricky beings.
They could glean various information from my responses and skillfully manipulate me.
Casual conversation was dangerous.
It was convenient to obscure my emotions by hiding my face with a mask.

　”…!”

　How far had I gone? Although it was difficult to rely on subjective time within 'Mayoiga,' after feeling lost for what felt like an hour…
or maybe it wasn't reliable…
I finally discovered it.
Suddenly, amidst the labyrinth of mirrors, I felt the touch of wood.
I briefly opened my eyes and saw a handle.
It was a sliding door.

　'Hey, hey, are you really going to leave?'

　'Kyahaha, is that alright? You don't know what lies ahead, you know?'

　'Instead of that, why don't you talk to us? You might come up with a good idea?'

　'Yeah, discussing things is important, you know?'