From Mimic to World's strongest daughter

Chapter 39

Y/n's POV

Our group entered the next hall through the door that had appeared in the wall. Papa was leading the way as we walked through the icy hall that was behind the door. "This place is crazy. It's like a house of mirrors. It feels like you can't escape your own reflection." Taniguchi commented as she paused and looked at her reflection in the ice next to her. I paused, looking at myself in the ice. My bangs were still different colors — one section for Mama, Shea, Tio, and Kaori. "It's made of ice instead of glass, but yeah, you're right. It's like we're looking at mirrors," Shizuku added. She had paused, looking at her own reflection, for a moment before Papa walked in front of them. "Keep moving and stay close." Papa ordered, walking ahead of everyone else. I jogged after him trying to catch up. I could hear Shizuku talking with Kouki, but ignored it since it was a crutch for him to rely on others. Except for our footsteps, there weren't any other sounds coming from the cave. Now and then, I'd hear Kouki's armor clinking together before looking back one time, seeing him looking over his shoulder in the direction that we came from. As I was looking at him, something metal hit something. I looked over, seeing Taniguchi crouching down to pick up the fan that Papa had made for her. "What! Who's there!" Kouki shouted. He was clearly on edge about something, and that was starting to make me worry about what was happening to him. "Sorry. It's just me. I accidentally dropped this," Taniguchi commented.

We continued deeper, but it seemed like Kouki was getting worse by the moment. Even Papa was starting to watch him from over his shoulder. As we came to a stop to check on him, Kouki started asking if we could hear a human voice talking. "It's like it's softly whispering something." Kouki added. Taniguchi begged him to stop trying to freak her out with what he was saying. "Anyone hear it other than Amanogawa? What about you two?" Papa asked, looking at me and Shea. 

"Nope. Trust me, I'm on super high alert." Shea answered.

"Same here. Even my monster sense is quiet." I added. Papa nodded as Kouki swore that he really heard a voice whispering. "Maybe you're just a little too tense and just hearing things, buddy." Sakagami suggested, trying to ease Kouki's tension. Kouki agreed that Sakagami's suggestion was probably the case before Papa turned to me and Shea again. "Both of you tell me if you sense or hear anything the second you do." Papa ordered. Shea and I both promised to tell him as soon as we sensed or heard anything. "There it is! And I'm not imagining it. I swear on my life I heard it." Kouki shouted, looking around while holding his head. 

"Hey, it's okay." Shizuku said, walking over to him, trying to get him to calm down. 

"I heard it perfectly this time! It said, 'Are you really okay with this?'" Kouki shouted, looking at Sakagami trying to prove he heard the voice. 

"Look, dude, I'm sorry, but I didn't hear anyone talking other than us," Sakagami replied.

"Yeah, Kouki... I definitely didn't hear anyone say that." Taniguchi confirmed. 

"Neither did I and I've been standing next to you." Shizuku added. 

"I'm not lying! I swear it's the truth! Who are you, damn it, and where are you! Stop sneaking around like a damn coward and show yourself!" Kouki shouted, looking at the ceiling of the hall we were in. 

"Do you think it's telepathy or something?" I asked, looking up at Papa.

"I'm not sure. Either of you hear anything?" Papa asked. Shea and I shook our heads as we stayed alert in case something came towards us. "Hajime, did you sense any magic?" Mama asked.

"No. No one's using magic." Papa confirmed.

"I think that rules out telepathy." I commented.

"It could be... well, there's always the possibility that Kouki's mind cracked under the pressure of traversing the Great Labyrinths." Tio suggested.