The Puppeteers

Chapter 20: Our souls deep down

AUTHORS NOTE: I thought I'd be able to finish this story by chapter 20 but it doesn't look like I'll be able to. It might end at like, chapter 21-25 instead. Im not going to rush it just because I said I'd finish it by chapter 20 because then it would be a very bad ending, theres still so many parts of the lore that haven't been properly talked about yet and I can't just skip over all of them like that. Now that that's said, let's continue on with our debate in the Court of Epiphany!

"I think we all already have someone in our minds that seem suspicious by now." Kanade said, "But it doesn't change the fact that pointing fingers isn't right."

Mafuyu stared at the white haired girl. She bared her neck, looking down at her, "Strange. You defend Miku and stay on her side, yet morally you agree with MEIKO. Just who are you with here, exactly?"

"Mafuyu!" The latter first knitted her eyebrows and then changed expressions to something more surprised.

"Hey hey! Let's discuss everything calmly. Is there anything else that any of you want to talk about that could lead us somewhere?" Mizuki voiced in an attempt to calm the two down.

"Uhh, actually..." This time Ena had something to say, "I want to talk about the Nightcord Miku. Just where did she go, exactly?"

"Yeah, she was here before and had a lot of connection errors? But then she just went poof, and now we only have the Wonderland Miku!" Emu agreed.

"Hmm...I myself am not sure where she could've gone! Maybe she just stopped trying to enter the Overlapped SEKAI because how hard it was to connect with 2 Miku's at the same time?" Miku replied in her usual cheery tone.

Rui objected bluntly, "...Or, Wonderland Miku did something again." 

Nene decided to start talking aswell. "I agree with that second statement. Miku, has been suspicious from the start, and seems...to show no hesitation in harming others..."

"Exactly." Mafuyu also approved of the idea, she put her hand on her hip with her eyes looking as empty as ever. "I can't help but be filled with questions to ask. Everything she says is hinting at something else, something more sinister, I presume..."

"Woah there, edgelord. Miku's not some sort of cartoon villain!" Mizuki commented on the latter's statement, "She's been helping us all this time, hasn't she? Even though she can be vague sometimes, she helped us make our groups, and also gave us answers to-"

"Someone helping you out a few times doesn't justify them acting cruel to you in other ways." Rui interrupted the girl, "I'm sorry, Mizuki, but she's been secretly hurting us this whole time."

"Wh-whaat?!" Tsukasa shouted, "Secretly hurting? Rui, you must be out of your mind!"

Emu joined in, "Miku would never do such a thing!"

The air started to smell like anxiety from everyone.

Kanade put her hand on her chest, with a determined look on her face, "Guys. You're all starting to get anxious again, please calm down. We can figure this out better if we-" 

"How can we calm down when things are like this?!" Ena shouted, "Seriously, telling us to stay calm isn't doing anything!"

"It must be Mizuki or Mafuyu! They've both been acting suspicious this whole time!" Tsukasa continued shouting.

"Hey- What?! Didn't we say not to point fingers?!" Mizuki replied.

"Hold your horses Tsukasa!" Rui said in an attempt to shut him up.

"Ehh, this is getting scary!" Emu looked over to Miku with a desperate face, "Hey..."

Miku snapped her fingers.