[How to escape...? You're planning to leave this dungeon? I thought you intended to resolve the core grudge...]
The "player" attached to Hayasaka feigned surprise with practiced ease, its tone dripping with false confusion.
Hmph. They observed me closely in Fujioka High, didn't they?
Thankfully, according to Kumami's observations, these Takamagahara remnants could only monitor through reflective surfaces—mirrors, glass, but not fluids like water. Otherwise, the thought of these freaks peeping on Kumami bathing or Hayasaka changing clothes would've been unforgivable.
"I do plan to resolve it. But frankly, while I can handle it alone, Hayasaka shouldn't be here. She's just a civilian caught in this nightmare. If I knew an exit, I wouldn't have dragged her this deep. So if you have escape clues, now's the time."
Takakai's voice betrayed nothing—casual, almost indifferent.
[Ah, I see... Well, I did find something during my explorations—a Student Expulsion Notice in the principal's office. It requires a teacher's signature and the principal's seal, plus the student's name. While I never confirmed if anyone escaped this way, it's a plausible route. Ahem... You're seriously tackling a Crimson Moon core grudge solo? Are you certain?]
The entity's delayed "shock" was almost comedic.
"I have my reasons. An expulsion notice, huh? That tracks."
Takakai nodded mildly, face unreadable.
[Well, good luck then~ I'm happy to help—after all, my freedom depends on you too.]
The voice dripped with saccharine sweetness, bordering on coquettish.
Not terrible acting...
But useless.
Thanks to the 20-sided die, Takakai had already confirmed Hayasaka's possession the moment they entered the deep layer.
Even without it, the clues were obvious:
"Long-term trapped player" claiming to be from the same group as Kumami?
Timing—appearing just as Takakai entered the deepest layer?
Behavior mirroring Kumami's interactions (but failing to replicate normal player reactions)?
This thing was Takamagahara's spy—no question.
"Then we're partners. Got a name? 'Hey you' gets old fast."
Takakai stood, peering through the utility shed's window at the empty rooftop.
[Call me Watanabe. May I address you as 'Mr. Takakai'?]
The reply came instantly.
"Sure, just not 'Tall-Nut.' Hayasaka, you okay? How're the injuries?"
His gaze swept the shed—destroyed circuits, smashed control panels, all vandalized at a child's height.
But the true anomaly was a woven straw mat tucked in a corner, invisible from outside.
For a fleeting second, Takakai saw her—
—a small girl huddled there, hiding.
Then the vision vanished.
Footsteps echoed in the distance.
"I-I'm fine..."
Hayasaka's voice was thin with tension.
Realizing something latched onto her back, seeing her every thought, hearing her every fear—
It was suffocating.
[Relax~]
Watanabe's voice whispered only to her, suddenly soothing, almost maternal.
[I'm just borrowing your body as a medium. No control, no harm~]
Hayasaka's panic ebbed—
—until a jolt of clarity from Takakai's shared willpower snapped her back.
This thing... it's manipulating me!
Her heartbeat thundered.
She was a pawn in their game.
"Time to move. Watanabe, guide us to the principal's office."
Takakai hoisted Hayasaka effortlessly, his grip firm.
[Of course, Mr. Takakai~]
The voice dimmed slightly, sensing interference.
The rooftop stretched infinitely, its edges unreachable no matter how far they ran.
Behind them, the Butcher and Chiyo paused—
—watching the shadowy students leap again and again, their bodies hitting concrete with sickening thuds.
To her, was this... liberation?
Takakai found another stairwell.
The descent resumed—black ooze seeping into their skin, flesh dissolving despite the Rescue Team Badge's efforts.
[Aimless running leads nowhere. But with a clear destination, the path reveals itself—if you know the place well enough.]
Watanabe's directions came with explanations:
Left.
Left again.
Straight.
Right.
With each turn, Takakai's vague sense of the principal's office grew sharper.
Soon—
A wooden door, ornate and unscathed amidst the ruin.
Inside:
Chaos.
Overturned furniture.
Shredded documents.
And on the floor—
Pristine expulsion forms.
[Hurry, Mr. Takakai!]
Watanabe urged as their bodies blackened, limbs flaking into sludge.
Takakai righted the principal's desk, rifling through drawers until—
The principal's seal.
Thump.
He stamped a form, then signed as the teacher:
[By decision of this school, student _____ is hereby expelled.]
[Mr. Takakai, perhaps Hayasaka should—]
"I said not yet."
Pen hovering, Takakai filled the blank without hesitation:
蜂屋
Hachiya Chiyo