Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 296: Interlude - 15: Breakthrough

"Hear anything good?"

"Some conversations, nothing important."

Two cat-girls in uniform spent their lunch in the breakroom, after the usual time their colleagues would finish up; the nametags they sported of course, were Anastasia and Amelia.

"There was something about a small fleet in the Fineas Sea that got taken over and the sailors thrown overboard. I couldn’t really understand the gist of it much and a table needed waiting," Jotou added.

"Maybe they’re pirates!" an eyepatch appeared on Asobi.

"No magic," Jotou’s ears pricked.

"Sorry..." the eyepatch faded away.

She checked around the room to make sure nobody noticed. "There’s also apparently a slime breakout in Duukani Rainforest two adventurers were talking about. The reward isn’t high, but there’s a lot of slimes, so."

"Maybe that’s where we should all go. We can go on a full adventure!"

Jotou smirked, "More of an expedition."

The doors opened up, prompting both to turn their heads, spotting pinkish ears passing by the folding panels. Her pearly white hair bunched up haphazardly into a white claw clip, with wisps of hair trailing down.

No makeup whatsoever, but the same amber eyes peered to them both as she approached. "Follow me would you? Both of you," her half-closed eyes gave only a brief glance before turning around.

"Wait, where?" Jotou voiced.

"And, why?" Asobi’s ears flickered as she tilted her head.

She lifted her hand up a tad and beckoned them, "Come on, come on, I have things to tell," without her tail ever lifting off the floor, she exited the room.

"Uh, Ana?"

"Keep your guard up, but let’s follow."

The two of them paced behind, entering into a busy café of dogs and cats across the floors. Serene spotted the two following Iridina and halted Asobi for a moment, "Hey Amelia, d’you have a second?"

Jotou paused in her steps, watching Iridina continue walking off. Asobi looked back and forth, "Uh, I have to follow my sister right now, sorry," she covered for herself and caught back up.

"Oh okay, sorry!"

"I’ll talk later!"

Fortunately, Iridina was rather sluggish; her arms lagged behind the rest of her body, like she was practically dragging herself forward.

Not to mention, both of them noticed her uniform was much less revealing than what she wore yesterday; it appeared to be standard.

Iridina led them through the women’s washroom. "We’re not supposed to use the-"

"Keep following," Iridina interrupted Asobi’s protest. Through the washroom they went, passing by guests using the mirrors and sinks.

The mouse-woman opened the last cubicle, which had a yellow sign on it that said ’out of order’. Once Iridina walked in however, there appeared to be simply a closed toilet, nothing more. "Come on."

With their brows raised, Jotou and Asobi squeezed and angled themselves into the cubicle. Surprisingly, it fitted them just fine with a shoulder-bump or two.

Iridina closed the cubicle door and locked it. She turned to the wall and pushed into one of the washroom tiles. "Click." The single tile went into the wall.

She pushed her fingers in and grabbed the inner side of the wall; she pushed and slid what appeared to be a hidden door. Once pushed to the side, she continued into the exposed room, "We’re here."

Warmly lit by lamps hung on the walls that were cushioned in grey fabrics. As Jotou and Asobi walked in, Iridina shut the door behind her, allowing the dimness of the room to shine.

The guests and pets outside were barely even muffled noise. Two sofas of the same hues and a high coffee table in between with various newspapers and magazines.

"Welcome to my personal breakroom, curtesy of one Daksh Mahajan," she sat and pressed her back against the sofa. "You can open that wall over there and talk to the bartender for drinks.

There’s a vent so you can smoke, but I wouldn’t recommend it right now. I also use this place when customers have to deal with greater emotions or if they’ve booked for a much longer experience."

"It’s in the women’s bathroom though and guests come and go," Jotou knitted her brows. "Isn’t it a bit suspicious?"

"Not many people tend to care. And I don’t bring men in here. There’s another place upstairs where I can bring both men and women easily; but this one’s closer and I use it more often for my breaks. Now, please sit."

"What’s this about?" Jotou prodded the sofa cushion with a finger before she sat.

Asobi sat right beside her with a bounce, "It must be something secret."

"I figured that."

Iridina faced them, but her eyes wandered the ceiling, "I may have found a breakthrough of why I’m unable to read your thoughts. I need your consent to read your mind; otherwise, I’m unable."

Jotou’s eyebrows couldn’t relax, "How did you find that out?"

"Somehow," Iridina shrugged a shoulder whilst leaning her arm across the backrest. "I’m not in the mood to explain everything. This can help you and we can test the theory.

Do you want my help or not? I did give you my word yesterday," the sultry voice they remembered began to drone monotonously instead.

Asobi thought for a second, "There’s no harm in trying, right?"

"None that I can think of—currently... Alright; if you want to read my mind," Jotou took a deep breath. "Then you may," she let it all out. ’If this is all a trick and something happens on my birthday, I swear to hell... Wouldn’t be the first time I guess.’

Iridina shifted into a more comfortable position and looked into Jotou’s eyes... "Huh," she uttered with a bit of intrigue. "Happy Birthday."

Jotou stared, "Thanks... So, it worked?"

Iridina’s face scrunched and her ears went back, "Your surface thoughts are, such a tensioned knot... To answer your question since you’re about to ask again, yes—it worked." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Woah. So Jotou just has to give permission," Asobi watched Jotou’s face.

"Would you, permit me to go deeper?"

"Why?" Jotou’s ears bristled.

"There’s a matter of a barricade around your mind that I can perhaps glean more info about, no? You have no reason to mistrust me, don’t worry."

"You mean the, protection around her brain?" Asobi tilted her head.

"Apparently, it’s not a protection... Fine; how do you normally delve deeper?" ’There’s no point arguing when I’m already here.’

"Simple. Think of a memory that touches you deeply; something your mind can wander to. It doesn’t have to be anything profound. It can be happy, sad, cruel—just as long as it’s a clear picture."

Jotou pouted and pondered. ’What memory do I even think about?’

"As I said, any memory that’s clear and has emotion. In any case, while you think of one, I do sometimes do shared services, connecting two people together.

Couples usually use this service. Would you like Ms Asobi to tag along into your consciousness?"

Jotou glanced up, "Sobi?"

"Invited into your mind? Hm, I think it’d be amazing! All your creativity and fun and cleverness—it’ll be a spectacle to behold!"

’I don’t know about all that... but.’ "If you think so," Jotou smiled. "Then sure," she answered Iridina.

"Okay. Once I start, I’ll talk to you both in the Thundering Blade’s consciousness; our bodies will be asleep and we’ll be safe in this room."

"Alright Jotou, fire up some good memories!"

’Good one...’ "I think I know the perfect one; I can’t forget it," Jotou stared to the floor. "I felt, fuzzy all over; like electricity was just tingling across my skin like butterflies.

I could sense the rush, the speed as I got shot into the air, but all I felt were those butterflies. And then they started popping and crackling; like fireworks across my skin.

Then swoosh!" Jotou began to smile. "I felt so cold, but somehow warm. The air was so thin, but I felt like I could breathe it in forever."

Asobi’s eyes began to glitter with white lights. Iridina leaned a little forward and her amber eyes flashed a quick pinkish hue, focusing on Jotou’s mind.

"It felt like such a dream, like my body was overtaken by mist. I could see up and up; and no matter how far I looked, the clouds swirled and swirled with the wind.

I could almost reach them and my nose barely got a tickle from them. I heard nothing else, but my own heart and breath. Everything just became, muffled.

There I was... In the sky, like I was taken to float into an ocean of fog. It felt like I could forget everything and just sleep peacefully; I’d call it heaven even.

Then I felt the weight pulling me down," Jotou’s eyes closed, imagining the memory in full, smiling from ear to ear. "The air rushed past my ears and I still felt nothing.

I moved and looked down; I was falling, but I didn’t feel scared at all. I still felt that buzz and the clouds followed my hair and coat down; I could see it all from so far up.

I was, well, hehe~ I was flying! Just, flying! I couldn’t stop smiling, it was all so beautiful... But then..." her giggles died down and her smile turned to a frown.

"I realized why I was up there... So many lives, were going to become nothing. I think I even apologized before I did it... I felt the Sun against my skin and for once it didn’t feel like I was burning; I actually liked the heat for once.

I pushed my sword down and just started falling..."

A pink flash overtook all three of their visions at once. Pinpointing on the bittersweet memory, everything faded to black...