We had chosen the Ice Mirror Labyrinth expecting a simple mirror maze, and while that wasn't entirely wrong, the atmosphere felt more like a mirror maze with horror elements layered on top.
It clearly didn't seem like the kind of place where we could just walk straight through the maze to the exit, so I listened carefully to the explanation first.
"The Mirror Monster captures its prey and drags them into the mirror. Once that happens, there is no means of escape. However, while the Mirror Monster wields immense power within the mirror, it cannot exert great strength outside of it. Therefore, it cannot drag its prey into the mirror unless it touches them three times."
I figured this was an explanation of our lives, or stocks. In short, failing to deal with whatever action the Mirror Monster took three times would result in a game over.
Looking at it from the other side, that meant we were allowed up to two mistakes... As expected, the atmosphere suggested we were supposed to perform specific actions rather than just run away.
"The Mirror Monster approaches from within the mirrors. Sometimes hiding its form, sometimes altering its appearance... You must spot the anomalies within the mirrors. Once you have found the Mirror Monster, aim the Holy Lantern at the mirror where it lurks and press the Holy Stone on the handle. Doing so will unleash Holy Light from the lantern to drive the Mirror Monster away. However, beware... Once used, the light of the Holy Lantern cannot be used again for twenty seconds. Make sure to aim accurately at the mirror harboring the monster before firing. We wish you the best of luck."
I see, so the lantern set beside the door was our tool for clearing the attraction... I had a pretty good grasp of the mechanics now. The layout was likely a mirror labyrinth surrounded on all sides by mirrors. As you made your way forward, an anomaly—some behavior impossible for a normal mirror reflection—would manifest somewhere, and you had to identify it and use the lantern to banish it as you advanced.
A twenty-second cooldown to prevent people from blindly flashing the light at every mirror... In that case, would it start throwing feints at us from the mid-stage onward?
For instance, it might appear in one mirror where you first noticed something off, only to immediately dart to another, forcing you to illuminate the final mirror it moved into—tricks like that seemed entirely plausible.
"...D-Do you think this is the kind of thing where scary stuff suddenly pops up in the mirrors?"
"I get the feeling there'll probably be some jump scares."
"Uuu... I-I'm only telling you this because it's you, Kaito-senpai... but I'm actually really bad with scary things..."
She spoke as if confiding a deep secret, but I already knew—or rather, was well aware—that Hina-chan couldn't handle scary things.
That said, in Hina-chan's case, it wasn't that she despised scary things to the point of refusing to look at them. Rather, she was easily terrified, but... if there was a haunted house, she was the type who would go in at least once anyway.
"I'm not particularly great with them either, but at least we're together instead of having to do this alone."
"Y-Yeah. If I were on my own, I might have given up... Can we even give up in here, I wonder?"
"Who knows? I imagine there's a way, but... oh?"
Figuring there were bound to be guests who truly couldn't handle horror and that giving up had to be an option, I walked over toward the lantern... and spotted a notice posted on the door.
"Caution: Horror elements are included beyond this point. Guests with weak hearts or an extreme aversion to horror may exit by placing the lantern on the central table. Furthermore, if you wish to drop out while attempting the attraction, turning the knob on the base of the lantern clockwise twice will extinguish the light and return you to the reception desk."
Ah, just as I thought, a relief measure—a way to drop out halfway through—did exist. I was sure we would manage, but if Hina-chan seemed to be reaching her limit, I would consider bailing out. As for me, I wasn't especially great with horror, but I wasn't completely helpless against it either, so it shouldn't be an issue.
"Looks like we can escape halfway through if we need to, so if it gets too terrifying to handle, let's just drop out."
"U-Understood. I'll do my best... Ah, K-Kaito-senpai... C-Can I hold your hand?"
"Sure. Well then, let's hold hands and head in together."
"Okay!"
For the time being, I decided to carry the lantern myself. I offered my free hand to the frightened Hina-chan and took hers. From the tension in her grip, I could clearly tell she was stiff with nerves—or rather, trembling.
...I could handle a spooky atmosphere, but sudden, loud jump scares would probably startle me just as easily... If possible, I didn't want to look pathetic in front of my cute junior, but we'd see how things went...
"Alright, let's go."
"Y-Yes."
When I opened the door and stepped outside the room... we were greeted by a maze made entirely of mirrors, dimly lit to match the horror theme.
Even so, it wasn't so pitch-black that we couldn't see around us. It was comparable to walking in daytime shade, posing no problem at all for making out the path ahead.
"Eek?! K-Ka-Ka-Kaito-senpai! T-The mirror in front of us...!"
"Hm? Ah, I see. So that's how it works..."
Reacting to Hina-chan's frightened cry, I looked ahead to the mirror directly in front of us. There, behind the reflection of Hina-chan and me, was something resembling a purple haze.
Thinking about it from a meta perspective, this was probably meant as a tutorial. As proof, it was far too obvious.
Raising the lantern toward the mirror ahead, I pressed the stone switch on the handle. The lantern shone with radiant light, and the purple mist vanished with an eerie shriek.
"D-Did you beat it?"
"The instructions said 'drive away,' so I don't think it's gone for good. It'll probably pop up again further in, so we'll need to keep a close eye on the surrounding mirrors."
"Uuu... P-Please, keep the scares on the milder side..."
I offered a reassuring smile to Hina-chan, who was clutching my hand tightly and leaning into me out of fear, before taking our first step forward into the mirror labyrinth.
Serious-senpai: "T-The flag for her getting terrified and clinging to him is standing proud and tall..."