[MashUp] Ch 43: Tiramy's Flower Adventure

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Amagi Headquarters, top floor.

Takuma lounged deep into the leather sofa, posture lazy, a faint fragrance lingering in the air—undeniably feminine.

Beneath the desk, a figure was kneeling while swallowing something.

She was Isuzu Sento.

The secretary who was usually so tough and professional now sat with her head lowered. Her long chestnut hair was a little messy, her pale cheeks flushed with an unnatural blush.

Both her hands fumbled awkwardly as she tried to massage Takuma's rod.

"Talk. No need to use your mouth for now."

Takuma spoke with his eyes closed, voice flat and unreadable.

Isuzu's body trembled so faintly it was barely noticeable. She swallowed hard again, forced down the chunk in her throat, and tapped her tablet awake.

"Takuma…"

"There's been… an anomaly in the Animus Power Monitoring System."

"Oh?"

Takuma didn't even bother lifting his eyelids.

"Just now, when the Macaron's Phantom of the Opera event ended, the system detected something strange. The Animus contributed by each guest was five times higher than normal!"

Her voice shook slightly with excitement.

"The analysis says it was triggered by strong emotions—grief and anger creating a surge of energy."

She lifted her head, beige-colored eyes shimmering with awe.

This was his miracle.

Crafting tragedies so precise they dragged out the deepest power buried in human hearts.

Yet Takuma remained calm.

He slowly opened his eyes, the corner of his mouth tugging into a playful arc. His hand reached forward, pinching Isuzu's delicate chin.

"This little detail was worth interrupting our fun for?"

"Takuma, you really should check on Princess Latifa—mmph!"

Her words were cut short as he shoved what was supposed to be shoved.

"Shh. Just do it slowly and let us enjoy for now." Takuma leaned back again, his gaze drifting past her toward the video playing.

A colossal maze, breathing on the screen.

Anon dashed about like a headless fly, drenched in sweat, frantically searching for an exit.

"Tch. That hot-headed pinky…" Takuma chuckled softly. "Never gets old."

---

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the maze—

The sorrow from the opera had already been washed away, replaced by soft grass underfoot and the healing fragrance drifting in the air.

Anon's worldview was shaken yet again by the sight before her.

"Hah! Welcome to Tiramy's Flower Adventure, mii."

"Time for Sleepwalking Garden to shine, mii!"

A mischievous, sly voice echoed from the rose-woven archway.

Everyone looked up.

Floating in the air was a pink cat fairy with a monocle, its eyes half-lidded with the same lazy sharpness.

"I am the keeper of this garden, your final examiner—Tiramy!"

Tiramy spun in the air, tail flicking.

"This maze has no set path, no correct answer, mii. It reads your heart."

"Your confusion becomes forks in the road. Your fear turns into dead ends. And your impatience… only pushes the finish line farther away."

Tiramy's smirk turned even more impish. "Oh, and by the way—our dear Savior really enjoys watching people get lost. That mix of frustration and panic on their faces… just adorable, mii."

Tiramy extended a paw, pointing toward the rainbow-glowing giant tree deep within the maze.

"Only those with the purest hearts, who can truly enjoy being lost, are worthy of reaching the end and touching the Tree of Wisdom. As a reward, the Tree grants the victor a little wish."

"Now then, bon voyage, mii!"

With those words, the vast garden maze opened wide before them.

"...."

"Let's go! I want to be the first to make a wish!"

"This way! The flowers look brighter over here!"

"Time to shine."

The promise of a wish—the ultimate reward—ignited everyone's excitement.

Even if they suspected it was just a gimmick, after two flawless experiences earlier, nobody could help but feel anticipation.

"Tomori! We can't fall behind either! Stay close to me!"

Anon's competitive spirit flared. She grabbed Tomori's hand and charged straight into the broadest sunflower path.

But not even thirty meters in—

Whoosh!

The sunflower walls snapped shut, fusing into a dead-end.

"Ehhh?!"

Unwilling to accept defeat, she yanked Tomori down another trail. But just a few steps later, the ground beneath them shifted, and they were dumped right back where they started.

Anon froze.

"What the hell?!"

After a few more failed attempts, she stopped, hands on her hips, frustration all over her face.

Around them, other impatient guests were trapped in the same loop.

This maze wasn't rewarding the fast—it was punishing them.

"Damn it… that stupid cat, what the hell did it mean…"

Anon scratched her hair in exasperation.

"'Enjoy being lost'? What kind of nonsense is that?! This game's rigged!"

As her frustration peaked, a cool little hand slipped gently into hers.

Takamatsu Tomori.

"Anon."

Her voice was soft. "We've been going the wrong way."

"I know we went the wrong way, but still—"

"No."

Tomori shook her head. Her clear eyes weren't fixed on any single trail. Instead, she looked at the entire maze, the massive structure that seemed to breathe like a living thing.

"It's not the path that's wrong… it's our hearts."

She tugged gently on Anon's hand, guiding her back toward the starting point.

This time, she pointed to a quiet, nearly invisible path hidden in the shadows, dotted with tiny violet blossoms.

"Let's… go this way. Please?"

"That way?"

Anon frowned at the pitch-black trail, her gut resisting it immediately.

"It looks super creepy…"

"No, it's not…" Tomori's eyes were steady, pure and unwavering.

Anon remembered the opera house—it was Tomori who had, with intuition that defied logic, solved every puzzle.

"…Fine!"

She took a deep breath. "This time, I'll listen to you!"

Her grip tightened around Tomori's hand again, but now it wasn't Anon dragging her along. She let Tomori lead.

Together, they stepped into the shaded trail.

And then, something miraculous happened.

With every step they took, the violet blossoms on either side began to glow one by one, lighting their path like a welcome.

The oppressive sense of being targeted was gone.

The maze was no longer resisting them—it was clearing the way.

Vines slithered aside, streams curved into little bridges, and even the crystal lilies chimed as though playing a song just for them.

"Tomori… you're amazing…"

Anon stared at her companion in awe.

She finally understood.

This maze wasn't testing brains or speed.

It was testing whether they could quiet their hearts and listen to the world—like Tomori did.

Their hands tightened together.

Perfect sync. Unshakable trust.

At the end of the path, a colossal rainbow-hued tree towered into the sky, waiting for them.

They had reached the end.

"Did we… really.. make it?" Anon's voice trembled as she gazed up at the giant tree.

Tomori simply nodded beside her.

Then, Tiramy's amused voice drifted through the air again.

"Mii. Congratulations, you two pure-hearted dreamers. Out of everyone in this pilgrimage, you are the only ones to reach the Tree of Wisdom."

"Huh?! The only ones?!"

Anon spun around in shock. The path behind them had already dissolved into a haze of glowing mist.

"As promised," Tiramy continued, a note of excitement in its tone, "the Tree of Wisdom will grant you one small wish. Speak it, final victors."

"A wish!"

Anon's eyes lit up instantly. A flood of dreams rushed through her mind.

Becoming a rock star adored by thousands. Famous, beloved, her guitar making the world scream.

But then she glanced at Tomori.

Tomori was clutching her chest, head bowed, eyes shimmering with rainbow light from the tree. There was yearning in her gaze, but also… uncertainty. A fragile lack of confidence.

Anon remembered what Tomori had said in the opera house: "I want to write a song for this story."

She thought back to everything that had happened. How this shy, quiet girl had guided her through it all with nothing but a pure heart.

A wide grin spread across Anon's face.

.

.

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