Chapter 33: My First Truth Battle
"There. Are you satisfied now?" Merlin asked as the scenery changed back to the garden from earlier. The same one where me and Bernkastel first learned the truth that Manaka Sajyou is actually Misaya Reiroukan. However…
… I was not satisfied… not in the slightest.
"No, I'm not." I spoke as I stood back up.
"A-Aya-" Bernkastel spoke but she was cut off before she could finish.
"Oh ho. I did exactly what you requested. So where did I fail to meet your expectations, Ayaka Sajyou?" Merlin asked with an innocent look.
"It was you, wasn't it?" I asked.
"Me? I've lived for many centuries. I can't remember every little thing I've done. So, you are going to have to tell me what I've d-" Merlin spoke but I cut her off.
"You were the one… who did it. You were the one… who caused that tragedy. You were the one…" I spoke but paused for a second until-
"… WHO MANIPULATED MISAYA!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at Merlin!
"W-What?" Bernkastel spoke.
"What a baseless accusation." Merlin replied.
"She's right! Ayaka, what are you thinking?! There's no way she could have-" Bernkastel spoke but I cut her off again.
"But she did. And I can prove it." I replied as I wiped away the tears that were in my eyes.
"Hahaha…" Merlin chuckled until-
"… Then prove it. Prove that I manipulated the real Misaya Reiroukan." Merlin finished.
"Oh, you better believe I will!" I spoke as I grabbed something out of my pocket. The one thing that can make her tell the truth even if she doesn't want to! Its name is-
"T-The Medallion of Truth?!" Bernkastel yelled out as I gripped it tightly in my hands.
"W-What is that?" Merlin asked.
"It's exactly what Bern said it was. This Medallion can make you tell the truth as long as I have the evidence to prove my claims! In other words…" I spoke as I paused for a few seconds until-
"… YOU WILL BE FORCED TO REVEAL THAT YOU ARE THE CULPRIT!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at her once more!
"I see. You are really serious about this, aren't you?" Merlin asked.
"Yeah! Let's do this!" I replied with a confident expression.
"Ayaka?! Don't do this! There's no way you have p-" Bernkastel spoke as she grasped my shoulder, but I cut her off once more.
"Bern. Let me do this. I'm so pissed off at a million different things. That's why I must reveal what really happened. After all, I'm really selfish." I replied as I brushed Bern's shoulder off and approached Merlin.
"Merlin… I WILL REVEAL HOW YOU MANIPULATED MISAYA!" I roared once more as I gripped the golden medallion in my hands as it flashed gold and obscured my vision until everything went dark.
"Ah!" I gasped as I opened my eyes and noticed that I was in a rocky wasteland.
'Rumble. Rumble. Rumble.' The black sky above me rumbled as it felt like thunder was going to strike any second.
"Bern?" I looked around and didn't see the girl in question anywhere around me. The only person who was here was her.
"Yawn! How long are you going to make me wait?" Merlin yawned as I noticed three locks on her body that wrapped together like chains. That's right… these are…
…However, all the locks represent a different reason on why I'm lying to you. If you can figure out all three reasons, then the truth is revealed, and I'm forced to spill the beans! However, that's IF you can prove it.'
I have to prove that my words are the truth with evidence. Not only that…
'No, silly. If you were serious about it, then the world would have become dark as a result. But the thing is if you take too long to figure out the truth the ground will break until you inevitably collapse under it. Though the person you are using it on is safe.'
If I don't prove that Merlin is lying in under five minutes. Then I will die. However, I'm prepared for these consequences. Now…
… LET'S DO THIS!
TRUTH BATTLE: AYAKA SAJYOU VS MERLIN
"Merlin, so you're telling me that you didn't do anything to Misaya while she was asleep. Anything at all?" I asked.
"How many times are you going to make me repeat myself? After all, I'm bound to the Tower of Avalon. So, I couldn't have done anything to Misa-" Merlin spoke, but I interrupted her with a-
"OBJECTION!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at her!
'WHOOSH!' This caused wind pressure that almost knocked Merlin onto the ground!
"W-What are y-" Merlin spoke but I cut her off again.
"That's a lie! Think back to 1987. Or maybe you can't. You're pretty old, right." I replied as I put my hands on my hips with a grin.
"H-How dare y-" Merlin spoke but I cut her off once more.
"In 1987, specifically on the day of the traffic accident. Misaya somehow managed to get all the way to that alleyway. Not only that, but she also cut her hair and even changed her clothes into the specific school uniform that me and Manaka used to wear. There's no possible way she could have done that." I replied.
"Of course, she could! Let's say she walked into the alleyway herself, found a pair of scissors, cut her hair, and found an abandoned school uniform in the trash. It's not impossible." Merlin replied.
"Uh, no. It is impossible. Don't you remember?" I asked.
"Remember what?" Merlin asked.
"You must have some major memory loss…" I spoke but paused for a few seconds until-
"… IF YOU COULDN'T REMEMBER THAT MISAYA WAS ALREADY ASLEEP BEFORE SHE MADE IT TO THE ALLEYWAY!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at her.
"S-So, what? Haven't you heard of sleepwalking? That's how she could have made it the alley-" Merlin spoke but I interrupted her.
"OBJECTION!" I roared at the top of my lungs again.
"So now you're saying that she sleepwalked all the way to an alleyway, in the city, Tokyo, where there are cars everywhere?! That's bullshit, and you know it!" I roared once more.
"Tch. Even if you're right? Then how do you explain how Misaya made it to the alleyway, cut her hair, and even changed her outfit?! Are you saying that I did all of that?!" Merlin snapped back.
"Of course, I am! It would be impossible for anyone else, except you!" I snapped back.
"Hahaha!" Merlin laughed until-
"How absurd! How could I have made Misaya do all of that shit?! Hypnosis?! That isn't even real magic! No magic on earth would have granted me the ability to control her body!" Merlin shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Well, duh. That's true." I agreed.
"That's right! I couldn't have done it with magic! Which means there is no way I'm the culprit!" Merlin snapped back.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." I spoke as I waved my finger at Merlin.
"Who said anything about Magic?" I spoke with a smile and my hands on my hips.
"Huh?" Merlin asked.
"Is there something wrong with your ears? Maybe you should use magic to make yourself a hearing aid if you can't understand anything I'm saying." I spoke with a smirk.
"HOW DARE YOU?! I'M THE GREAT AND POWERFUL! THE ONE AND ONLY! THE MAGE OF FLOWERS! MERLIN!" Merlin roared at the top of her lungs.
"That's right." I agreed.
"W-What?" Merlin spoke.
"I agreed with you. You are Merlin. And only Merlin could have pulled off this crime. Because you can…" I spoke as I paused for dramatic effect until-
"… YOU CAN INFILTRATE PEOPLE'S MINDS!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at her.
"Hahaha!" Merlin laughed until-
"I can infiltrate people's minds? How absurd! I've never done something like that in my entire l-" Merlin spoke until I interrupted her.
"OBJECTION!" I roared at the top of my lungs.
"You've done it before. Or more like… you will? Anyway, you have." I spoke with a smile.
"W-What are you talking about?! Your baseless accusation means nothing! Nothing at all! Unless you can prove it! You can't can you?! Just try and prove it, Ayaka Sajyou!" Merlin shouted at the top of her lungs.
"Sure! You said-I mean will say-" I spoke as I remembered the line in question…
'Now let's start today's lesson on incubuses! An incubus is a dream demon, what that means is I have the ability to travel into humans' dreams. I then proceed to consume within it.'
"You admitted here that you were an incubus! You have the power to enter another person's dreams. Ergo, you can enter their minds! So, even if you were to bound to the Tower of Avalon…" I spoke but paused for a second until-
"… YOU COULD HAVE STILL INFILTRATED MISAYA'S MIND!" I roared at the top of my lungs. And then…
'Crack!' One of the locks broke on Merlin's body! I got one!
"Tch." Merlin clicked her tongue.
"So, what if I can?! What does that prove?!" Merlin snapped back.
"Everything! When a person is asleep their mind is unconscious. They can only experience events within their minds like dreams and nightmares. But you have the ability to enter another person's mind. You can freely manipulate what happens within their minds too! Which means…" I spoke and paused for dramatic effect until-
"… You can control their minds when a person is in an unconscious state!" I shouted at the top of my lungs!
'Crack!' Another of the locks broke on Merlin's body! That's two! One more to go!
"Hahaha…" Merlin quietly chuckled until-
"Sure, I admit it." Merlin finished.
"Y-You admit it?" I asked as Merlin moved her head up and down to indicate a 'yes.'
"Of course. I lied about me not having the ability to travel within another person's mind and the fact that I could manipulate them too. However…" Merlin spoke but paused for a few seconds until-
"… I CAN ONLY DO SO IF THE PERSON IN QUESTION WISHES FOR IT!" Merlin roared at the top of her lungs! Suddenly…
'Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!' The thunder rumbled in the sky until-
'BAM!' Lightning struck against the ground!
"AH!" I gasped as my ears were pierced and I wasn't expecting the lightning to strike at that precise moment!
"Plus, I've only met Misaya three times! Not only that but where is my motive?" Merlin asked with a smirk.
"Y-Your motive?" I asked.
"Correct. You've answered the what and the how. However, you have yet to answer the whydunit!" Merlin snapped back. Shit! She's right! Why would she walk and do all of that stuff without a motive?!
'No. 'Wanting' is not enough. You have to wish for it. That's the only way you're going to remember what you saw.'
Not only that but she couldn't if Misaya didn't wish her to do so!
'Crack! Crack! Crack!' The ground below me began to crack!
"Woah!" I spoke as I jumped toward another part of the rocky ground as the one, I was standing on top of vanished into a dark abyss! Oh no! I'm losing time! I must figure out how Merlin did it before-
"Clock's ticking." Merlin reminded me with a smirk. Damn! I already know that! So just shut up! Wait a second…
"How many times have you met Misaya?" I asked as I regained my confident expression.
"I just told you. I met Misaya three ti-" Merlin spoke, but I cut her off.
"OBJECTION!" I roared at the top of my lungs as I pointed at her.
'WHOOOSH!' The wind currents caused by me pointing at her ended up knocking her onto the ground!
"Tch. What now?!" Merlin spoke as she clicked her tongue and stood back up.
"Don't you remember what you said before this battle started? Specifically, what you said to Misaya?" I asked.
"Eh? N-NO! YOU DON'T ME-" Merlin spoke but I cut her off. She was already too late. And she fell perfectly into my trap!
"This is what you said! TAKE THIS!" I snapped back.
'Neither can I. It should be impossible for me to communicate with the same person, more than once. But here we are for the fourth time, Manaka Sajyou. Or should I say…'
"That's what you said to Misaya! And if you even need more proof after that you said!" I roared again.
'… Misaya Reiroukan.'
"There's a contradiction here! You didn't meet Misaya three times…" I spoke as I paused once more for dramatic effect until-
"… YOU MET HER FOUR TIMES!" I roared at the top lungs once more!
"Damn it! DAMN IT!" Merlin shouted at the top of her lungs.
"That's right, you lied! Misaya met you twice before she ran away! Then she met you for a fourth time in her dreams in 1991! That means… there was a third time you met her! After she ran away and before she became Manaka Sajyou! And the only time you could have met her was when…" I shouted as I paused for a few seconds as I pointed at her and-
"… SHE WAS UNCONSCIOUS THE NIGHT SHE RAN AWAY! THAT'S WHEN YOU TOOK OVER HER BODY!" I roared once more.
"Hahaha…" Merlin chuckled. Damn! That didn't break the final lock! Wait! I'm forgetting something!
'… I CAN ONLY DO SO IF THE PERSON IN QUESTION WISHES FOR IT!'
That's right. I met Merlin within a dream and wished her to show me things not once but twice. So that means… Misaya did the same thing.
"Misaya wished for something… didn't she?" I asked.
"Maybe, she did. Maybe, she didn't. You're going to have to tell me what she wished for." Merlin asked. The only way to prove something is with evidence. Think back, Ayaka. How was Misaya feeling before that day…
… she was scared. She wanted to run away from her family. She wanted somebody to-
"Misaya asked you to save her!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. And then…
'Crack!' The last lock broke on Merlin's body! That's all three!
"Well done! Not bad at all for your first time trying to expose someone. But you did cut it a bit close, didn't you?" Merlin asked as I realized that the ground below my feet has all but collapsed. Except for the small part I was standing on as well as the part Merlin was on too.
"Y-Yeah." I replied as sweat dripped down my face like bullets. Wow! That was way too close!
"Anyway, it's as you say. Misaya wished for me to save her. But's that all she did. With such a vague wish, all I could do was change her look a bit to give her a new identity. The whole traffic accident was a complete coincidence." Merlin admitted.
"I seriously doubt that last part." I replied.
"Oh ho! Then do you want to fight a-" Merlin spoke but I cut her off.
"Nope. I've had enough action for a little while." I replied. Seriously. My heart is beating out of my chest! The poor thing can't take much more of this!
"Too bad. I was hoping to fight you in another battle of truth." Merlin spoke as she lifted her arms side to side with a disappointed look. Yeah, I'm sure you're disappointed. But I'm sure that one day we will battle here again. And before I knew it… everything went dark once more.
