Festival of Deceit and Madness

 is an event in SINoALICE.

Parrah:

It's that time of year again!

Noya:

To stuff your face with corn, pumpkin--

Parrah:

MUSH. ROOOOOMS!

Noya:

...and mushrooms.

Yay for fungi!

Parrah:

.........

WOW! WHERE DID THIS BASKET OF MUSHROOMS COME FROM I WONDER?!

Noya:

ARhgp

......

Yummmm

YummYummYummMarfSnarfsmsadasidnahsadihasodhasoihdaoishdaoishdiahs

URP

docrimehohdsdsifhdsoih

aoishofabadboihemushroom

Parrah:

......

Sooo...I wonder what the girls are up to?

Parrah:

Haven't the recent events struck you as somewhat meta?

Noya:

I think most of the players feel the same way.

Parrah:

With that in mind, we've decided to change up our formula.

Noya:

A game where the players are all swallowed by waves of mistrust...

It's called the werewolf game. Have you ever heard of it?

Parrah:

And if you haven't, close the game and G**gle it!

Noya:

What kind of device are you using?

Parrah:

You can use it for all sort sorts of things besides playing games, you know.

Noya:

Fittingly enough, Halloween is right around the corner.

Parrah:

But is the person hiding beneath the mask a human?

Noya:

Or is it a man-eating wolf?

Parrah:

The trickster gets tricked, and the skeptic is scrutinized.

What screams Halloween if not that?

Noya:

This story is set in a particular village,

one that's perfect for this game.

Parrah:

So begins our sorrowful, dastardly, blood-soaked tale.

We do hope you enjoy!

Verse 1
--In a small village,

children excited for Halloween are carrying out decorations.

To delight the little darlings,

the adults are making candy.

"What costume should I wear this year?"

"What are you gonna be?"

"I won't tell. It's a secret."

Heheh heh, hahaha...

The sound of gleeful laughters echoes through the trees.

It was such a peaceful village.

But before Halloween could come...

A werewolf had snuck into the village.

Parrah:

Sorry for the sudden notice, but we're giving you a paid holiday!

Noya:

Have a fun Halloween in a certain village!

Cinderella:

...By the way, what is the werewolf game?

Little Mermaid:

It's a game where you have to find a hidden werewolf.

Cinderella:

Are you a hunter trying to catch it?

Little Mermaid:

Teehee, yay!

I'll happily dispose of it.

Cinderella:

...Oh, I think I see it.

Over there is the village.

Little Mermaid:

I was completely ignored...

Poor me...

These dolls are so capricious.

All of a sudden, they start talking nonsense about vacations.

They definitely have an ulterior motive.

Then again, the accompanying mermaid acted as though a tragedy has befallen.

But she seemed happy to go along nonetheless.

"Speaking of which, why just me and you?"

"Because I desired it."

"What?"

"If I have to go with someone,

I want to go with you, Cinderella."

"Why?"

The Little Mermaid's lips curled into a rare smile.

"Because if I'm with you,

fun is sure to follow

Verse 1 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"You are all So unfair! How dare you

play

without me! I want to enjoy Halloween

too!"

"Huh...? But you smell burnt."

"I want to play the werewolf game

too!"

"Cinderella and the Little Mermaid...

I don't think pairing these two is going

to turn out well."

"I want to play too!"

"Oh... This one looks like trouble too..."

Verse 2
When they finally arrived at the village,

it was buzzing with a warming glow...

or so it should have been. The adults' face had all grown pale and the children were peeking from the windows.

It was almost as if...

"The perfect setup for another one of those tragedies you enjoy so much."

"How can you say that... I just want to have fun..."

As if having noticed Cinderella and my bewildered self,

the villagers pointed at us.

"It's the werewolves!"

"The wolves attacking the village must be turned away!"

"Wait a second. We're not..."

Words were lost on those bloodshot eyes.

Turning towards Cinderella, the villagers attacked.

Patriotic Villager:

It's a female werewolf!

Don't set foot in the village any further!

Cinderella:

What the...? Are you saying I look like a wolf?

Little Mermaid:

Well, we are "outsiders" here...

Cinderella:

Perhaps, but I'm not just going to sit still and let them kill me.

All of them. I will claim their last breath.

Little Mermaid:

That's terrible. I feel sorry for the villagers...

Cinderella:

Huh? Shouldn't you feel sorry for me?

"Stop!" I had been considering how to slaughter the excited villagers.

But then a sagacious voice ran out.

"Those people are not wolves. Everyone,

back down!"

As if slapped in the face by that voice,

the villagers returned to their normal selves.

...As for me, I had no choice but to put away my weapon.

"...We're not gonna kill them?"

"The fun hadn't even started yet.."

"It looks that way..."

"You're looking pretty dejected."

"No. I just feel relieved."

In the eyes of the mermaid, with her head hung low,

there was an evident hint of disappointment.

"...You have a fine personality, really."

Verse 2 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"A village attacked by a werewolf? If

that's the case,

I should have been called..."

"Parrah and Noya said going with the

standard is boring."

"What's a standard?"

"Oh, I'm glad there's a decent soul in

this village!

Thank god, all is well."

"How boring. I wanted to have fun

too!"

"Waah. Help! That was my staff!"

Verse 3
The man who'd mended the conflict

appears to be the leader of the village.

A young boy stepped forward:

"Apologies. Travelers."

As he spoke, his gallant, kind eyes

made him look a little like the Prince.

"But everyone is agitated for a reason..."

And he began telling his story.

It had happened one day, while preparing for Halloween.

that had been attacked by a pack of wolves.

"Most were chased out of the village, but

one wolf had changed into a human and is still lurking around.

"Night will fall if we stand here talking."

"Ah, listen to the howls...!"

With the rising moon as a signal, the howling began.

Patriotic Villager:

Aren't you all the ones who called for reinforcements?

Cinderella:

Do you want me to trim off those heels?

Little Mermaid:

Dear villagers, calm down. I'm a hunter.

If this person really is a wolf,

I'll claim it as my prey.

Cinderella:

...Hey.

Little Mermaid:

Oh, dear. Poor Cinderella.

Surely she'll be shot by the villagers or even mutilated--

...It's truly sad.

At the very least, I...

Cinderella:

Would you mind not speaking such lines with a smile?

Villager:

Please forgive the inconvenience, travelers.

After this night,

The identity of the werewolf will be revealed...

Before long, it was morning.

Wolf corpses were piled up around the village.

"A-amazing..."

"You are our saviors!"

"Please, save the village!"

"If you protect us from the wolves,

we'll do anything you ask!"

"Hmph, anything we ask, huh..."

The pitiful villagers all bowed their heads in unison.

(Maybe I should have a little fun with these simpletons.)

As I wet my lips, the mermaid standing by me surveyed the scene with a lonely gaze.

"That person isn't here..."

The murmuring filled the air until it was dispersed by a single cry--

"Come quickly! He's been killed!"

The atmosphere of the village had transformed from stillness to astonishment.

Verse 3 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"The wolves have come! Let's play, it's

time to play."

"Calm down, Red Riding Hood! Ow!"

"Hahaha, I love to slice and dice!"

"I can't even explain what's going on!"

"Hey, now that you mention it... ...

has anyone seen that boy?"

"Maybe he's worn himself out,

playing."

"No... that's not it... it's..."

Verse 4
The corpse lying in the village junkyard...

was that boy who looked like the Prince.

"Look closely, a wolf couldn't have made these cuts."

Cinderella inspected the wound and made a terrible pronouncement.

In other words...

"You're saying that... he was killed by a human?"

The de facto chieftain shuddered violently.

"By the way, are we the only outsiders here?"

"...there are no others."

"It wasn't us, which means the killer must be one of the villagers."

The truth was so darn apparent.

That's what made it so cruel.

"Some wolves must have made out."

Cinderella and I left the scene.

Little Mermaid:

The village chief is calling everyone for a meeting...

Cinderella:

They're on the hunt for the culprit.

It's only natural, right?

Little Mermaid:

...What do you think?

Cinderella:

I'll bet the murderer used the battle with the wolves as a pretext to kill.

Little Mermaid:

Would that really work?

Cinderella:

...What if they had the wolves attack the village---

with the intention of killing that guy all along?

Little Mermaid:

Huh...?

Cinderella:

The victim seemed to be popular and capable.

That kind of person arouses jealousy easily.

I whispered those thoughts in front of the village chief, but...

Well, I guess I could have just been talking to myself.

Little Mermaid:

You are so...

Cinderella:

Keh...

Hahahahahaha!

When we'd returned from the wolf hunt,

we realized the villagers had found their scapegoat.

On the far end of the village, a young boy tied to a tree.

"You always suspect the one who found the body."

"On top of that, this kid had a motive."

"The two were fighting over a woman."

"Killing your best friend over love! How terrible!"

"Not only that, but you tried to blame it on the wolves!"

"It was a werewolf! I can prove it!"

"Spend the rest of the night tied to the tree."

"You've got it all wrong! I'm begging you, let me explain!"

The boy's pleas fell on deaf ears.

(Collective Delusion...

is one hell of a thing.)

Watching the ugly site of the villagers,

I couldn't help but smile.

Verse 4 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"Do you think that boy was

murdered?"

"And who could have killed the

robin...?"

"Baked robins are tasty, you know."

"Huh?! You eat robins?!"

"I wonder if the boy they've cornered

was really responsible."

"Hey, let's play! I wanna play some

more!"

"My staff says it wants to play some

more, Red Riding Hood."

"Oh! this one's a real beast!!"

Verse 5
...When the sun rose,

the boy thought to be a werewolf in disguise

was nothing more than a miserable,

mangled corpse.

"So this one isn't the killer, either?"

"Who is it, then?"

"It must be him. The whole village was bristling."

"Who? Me? What are you talking about?"

"It's him. Arrest him."

"He's the werewolf!"

"Give me a break!"

"how cruel..."

Seeing the villagers tie up their latest victim was truly a pathetic sight.

"Show me...more."

Those were the words I whispered to myself.

Cinderella:

...I'm getting bored.

Why don't we go back?

Little Mermaid:

What?

But we haven't found the guilty party--

Cinderella:

It's not our problem, is it?

This is none of our business.

Little Mermaid:

But you instigated this, didn't you?

If you hadn't said the culprit is a member of the wolf pack--

Cinderella:

I was just talking to myself, right?

It's up to them whether to believe me or not.

Little Mermaid:

...You scare me.

Parrah:

By the way...

Leaving in the middle of the game will not be tolerated.

Cinderella:

Wow! Where did you two emerge from?!

Noya:

If you want to go back, please find the guilty one.

Parrah:

We don't issue incompletes here, right?

Hee-hee, Hee-hee-hee!

According to those ridiculous dolls,

we can't leave here until we wrap up this mess.

"Hmmph! So much for a vacation!"

"What shall we do?"

"...everyone is guilty until proven innocent. In other words--

Shouldn't we simply

kill them all?"

"More people would die in atonement than in the event that caused it... How terrible."

"Massacre would suit you just fine,

wouldn't it?

Poor Little Mermaid gets to drown in her misery."

"Not all miseries are created equal.

Killing them all will result in nothing more than a tasteless tragedy.

No one deserves that. Not even the villagers..."

Watching the Mermaid break into tears,

I realized that no one could be more tasteless than her.

Verse 5 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"The one they arrested is dead."

"Did anyone see the robin die...?"

"The villagers just want another

person punished.

They don't care who it is!"

"Of course you would resort to

slaughter, Cinderella".

"Yay! Yay! Kill them all!"

"And of course, you too, Red Riding Hood..."

Verse 6
Then, another morning came.

And again, a villager was killed.

"So this one wasn't guilty either..."

"W-Well then who is the werewolf?!"

"I've solved the riddle. It's him! It must be him!"

"What is with these people?! It's exactly the same as yesterday."

The chill of Cinderella's voice,

filled with bloodlust, pierced the morning haze.

"Let's just kill them all and go home.

Agreed?"

"And I was so looking forward to Halloween...

Why are my hopes always trampled on..."

Seeing us with our weapons unsheathed,

the villagers froze. And then--

"Wait! I'm a fortune teller!"

"Shut up!"

Cinderella:

Huh? Wait.

If I remember correctly, there should be fortune tellers--

Little Mermaid:

Fortune tellers can tell whether someone is a werewolf...

Cinderella:

In that case, why didn't they come forward from the beginning?

Little Mermaid:

Maybe they didn't want to be suspects, themselves...

Cinderella:

Or they have a plan...

Once we were finished with a few of the villagers,

I asked the question that had been bugging me.

"You said you're a fortune teller,

right?"

"Yes, I can read the hearts of those under suspicion and figure out which one's the werewolf.

So please don't kill me!"

"Fine. We'll spare you. But only you.

And in return, you must tell us what the future has in store for us."

"O-okay!"

The villagers stirred at my words.

Having been spared death for the time being, the fortune teller looked over the situation and couldn't hide a cruel smile.

It was a sense of superiority, a relief in knowing that a favor has been done.

That cruelty made me smile--

Verse 6 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"Did the accused die again?!"

"How long will the blame game

continue? Someone has to put a stop to

it,

soon..."

"Oh, look. now We have a fortune

teller."

"Is this one really a fortune teller?"

"It might be lying to stay alive, or

maybe..."

"Ha ha! This is fun!"

"Stop this one before he kills us."

Verse 7
"Wait! I'm also a fortune teller!"

A girl shrieked with her hand held high.

However, the village chief quickly denied the girl's claim.

"What's the matter with you?! There's only one fortune teller.

There can't be two!

"It's Impossible!"

The girl shook her head furiously as she replied.

"That one's a sham

I'm the fortune teller!"

"Huh?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm the fortune teller."

"No, I am!"

"No, I am!"

"What do we do, Cinderella?"

"How troublesome.

I still think we should kill them all."

It was just the kind of thing she would say.

But before she could act,

the enraged villagers attacked as one.

Villager who just remarried:

Are there two fortune tellers?! Which one is the real one?!

Villager (Female):

Calm down, old man!

Villager who just remarried:

Enough! I can't take anymore!

Villager (Female):

Mommy, I'm scared!

Villager:

Everyone but me needs to die!

Verse 7 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"Another fortune teller! What's going

on?"

"Can there not be two?"

"Only one is supposed to be

in the werewolf game..."

Verse 8
Amidst the chaos, someone finally noticed.

"The second fortune teller is dead!"

Hearing the news, the crowd retreated.

At the center of the attention,

the second girl who claimed to be the fortune teller lay dead.

"We didn't kill her. It couldn't have been us.

We were fighting you the whole time."

"...she, she's been killed by the werewolf!"

"That's right! The werewolf!"

"You! Tell me the future!

Get it wrong and you're dead!"

"Wh-whoa!"

The mermaid watched as the villagers worked themselves into a frenzy.

"This village isn't a tragedy. It's a comedy.

So...

Let us bring down the curtain."

The mermaid murmured as she drew her weapon.

Little Mermaid:

I don't need a dimestore tragedy.

You have to express your feelings a bit more politely.

Cinderella:

Didn't I tell you it would be faster to kill them all?

Little Mermaid:

Yes. You were right.

This tragedy is a bunch of junk food...

Verse 8 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"The entire village is in an uproar."

"It's total chaos. Now we have no

choice..."

"but to let the killing spree begin!"

"......"

Verse 9
"Please!

Put away your weapons!"

The village chief tried desperately to stop us.

"But, if we don't fight back,

we'll be killed by the villagers.

How unfair..."

"That's right. Tell them to throw their weapons away first."

"Don't be ridiculous! IT's you guys who are terrorizing us with the death threats!"

"Besides, you outsiders reek of suspicion."

"How one-sided. No intention to listen, eh?

What shall we do, Chief?"

"Hrmm...!"

A howl rang out nearby.

The wolves were drawn by the smell of blood.

Village Chief:

Dear travelers,

I'm sorry to say this, but we must ask you to die.

The disturbance won't be quelled until you have perished.

Cinderella:

Don't you wanna find out who the werewolf is?

Village Chief:

We can investigate further after we kill you.

Little Mermaid:

They can't see the forest for the trees.

What a lousy village chief...

Verse 9 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"Oh great, now a wolf's here too."

"I'm the one that's supposed to play

with the wolves!

No fun if I don't get to play!"

"Couldn't the end have been any

different?!"

Verse 10
They would kill anything that came their way.

Whether wolf or human, man or woman,

young or old.

The corpses piled up around Cinderella and the Little Mermaid.

"They're demons!"

"Demons risen on the night of Halloween!!"

Hearing the villagers screams,

the one in gray chortled.

"First werewolves, now demons.

How could anyone keep up with so many job changes?"

"Am I still a hunter?"

"Yes. A demon who hunts both man and wolf."

As if at a ball, the two women performed a deadly dance, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

Amidst the tornado of brutality,

only the village chief was safe under the protection of the wolf.

Villager (Female):

Why would the wolf protect the village chief...?

Cinderella:

Ooohhhh, I see.

So you're the werewolf, eh? Chief?

Village Chief:

...

Villager:

That's a lie!

Hey, fortune teller!!

Fortune Teller (Male):

Whew, sorry about that!

I'm not the real one!!

Villager:

Then, the one who died was real?!

Cinderella:

It's too late to think about that, now.

Little Mermaid:

Yeah. It's too late for everything.

Sadly, killing everyone is the only course of action left...

--After several subsequent mornings,

the only ones left breathing in the village were Cinderella and Little Mermaid.

"All I wanted was a Halloween party.

But to have it end in a bloodbath..."

"Were you really looking forward to it that much?"

Little Mermaid simply nodded.

"I'll ask you again.

Why are you here with me?"

"Because..."

"If I'm with you,

tragedy is sure to follow."

"... I see. And are you satisfied?"

"Not bad. For a b-movie tragedy..."

Breathing in the morning mist, Little Mermaid smiled.

Cinderella could only manage a smirk.

Verse 10 Alternate
* Conversation between Red Riding Hood and Pinocchio*

"Red Riding Hood, stop for a moment!

Something isn't right!"

"Everything's right. And what's more,

I'm having lots of fun!"

"No, I mean, look! Werewolf is

protecting the village chief."

"Everyone is dead. Are you done

playing games?"

"Really. What a terrible sight.

But that Little Mermaid... is rather

strange...."

"...she smiles as she cries."

Epilogue
Parrah:

Oh, dear. They went from a village of werewolves to a village of ghosts.

Noya:

There weren't even any interrogations like you'd find in a werewolf game.

Parrah:

And it didn't have that spooky Halloween atmosphere, either.

Noya:

And they resorted to brutality to solve everything!

Parrah:

We had the perfect stage set, and they went and ruined it!

Noya:

I can't live like this anymore!

Parrah:

I'm not playing this game anymore!

Noya:

Let me die and come back as the guide for a game whose creators aren't all insane!

Parrah:

Me, too!!!

Oh, would you look at that?

We went meta again.

Noya:

Now that I think about it...

Was the village chief really the werewolf?

Parrah:

And who was the fortune teller, anyway?

Noya:

Everyone died either way.

Parrah:

Neither the werewolf nor the humans came out on top.

Noya:

The truth shall be lost to the ages...

Parrah:

A fitting conclusion where these girls are involved.

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