Whether the afternoon "date" with Kaguya could be considered a success was a question that plagued Takakai for some time—with no clear answer.
Her escape had been too swift, denying him even a chance to gauge her reaction.
But then Hayasaka sent a video: Kaguya rolling across her bed, clutching a pillow, her face crimson. Clearly, this was just a case of embarrassment overload. Thus, the date could be deemed a qualified success.
Returning to his hotel—now with confirmation from the construction team that repairs would finish ahead of schedule—Takakai settled into his chair and checked his phone.
A flood of messages from Maki awaited him.
Every scrap of intel on [Yoruyama Middle School] from the forums had been meticulously organized and categorized. Details on the two extracted core Obsessions, the sole remaining one, and even annotations from Maki and Chika filled the documents.
Such reliable allies. Saved me hours of work.
Impressed, Takakai transferred the files to his laptop and began reviewing.
[Yoruyama Middle School]
One of the four zones of [School Horror Tales], it boasted the most core Obsessions, the largest and most complex layout, yet paradoxically offered players the highest operational flexibility.
Despite its Crimson Moon classification, compared to:
[Fujiki Academy]'s Alice-driven hunts
[Shirasawa Elementary]'s cognitive warfare and canine transformations
...this school was almost "simple."
The proof? Two of its three core Obsessions had been extracted by Crimson Moon players—drastically altering the dungeon.
Layout Overview
Two academic buildings + one abandoned old building
Dormitory + abandoned dormitory
Indoor gymnasium + outdoor courts
Open-air swimming pool
Assembly hall
Back mountain + wind farm
War-era tunnels
A map so vast and labyrinthine, it rivaled Dark Souls III and Elden Ring combined.
Yet this very complexity allowed players to exploit interlocking rules across zones—hence the two successful extractions.
...Which left the third core Obsession unchallenged, its influence now magnified.
While not as lethal as [Bydos Academy]'s death zone, survival here was still near-impossible for prolonged stays.
Core Obsession 1: The Guitar Girl
The guitar itself was now in Gotō Hitori's possession—an Obsession Object capable of altering time's fabric.
Used skillfully, it could:
Insert nonexistent figures into historical records
Retrieve critical intel/items from temporal gaps
Operational versatility: Terrifying.
Origin:
The girl was a rare case of dissociative identity disorder (five distinct personalities). Transferred from a psychiatric facility to the school under shady circumstances, she became entangled with a rumor about "time-traveling ghosts."
Her fractured psyche, combined with the rumor's power, allowed her to manifest imaginary entities via the guitar—until the 2nd Academic Building warped into a nightmare zone.
Gotō Hitori, Kita Ikuyo, and Aoyama Nanami (plus another Crimson Moon team) infiltrated this area. Hitori and Kita ultimately extracted the core.
Now, to restore the dungeon to an explorable state, Hitori would return the guitar—reactivating this zone's rules.
Core Obsession 2: The Bombing Boy
The catalyst for [Yoruyama]'s descent into the dungeon world.
Background:
A timid, introverted freshman subjected to relentless bullying. Then, a rumor spread:
"If he suffers, the rest of us are spared."
Students and faculty began ritualistically tormenting him—believing his pain diverted supernatural threats.
(How long this continued, whether anyone intervened—records are unclear.)
Outcome:
The boy stole a missile from the mountain's abandoned military base and detonated it in the assembly hall—killing over half the school.
"A messed-up version of Angra Mainyu*?"*
Takakai couldn't resist the comparison.
The core Obsession Object—a lame cat (rare living-type)—was taken by a secretive American Crimson Moon team. Its effects remain unknown.
Not that it matters.Takakai was 1000% certain the Black Watch would ensure its return.
Just as Alice's fourth Obsession Object had been pulled back into [Fujika Academy], this one would follow suit.
Core Obsession 3: [Fabricated Truth]
The foundation of [Manifested Rumors], this "rootless" horror was likely the Writer's loophole creation—a safeguard to make [Yoruyama]"unbreakable."
A fragment of its power latched onto Kita Ikuyo, nearly decapitating Takakai in [Fujika Academy].
(Those students it puppeteered... Shame I couldn't save them. But protecting my own takes priority.)
(Not that surviving would've helped them—forced into twilight -level games next, with no Market support like mine.)
Enough dwelling. Dead is dead.
Shaking off the thoughts, Takakai skimmed the remaining rulesets until drowsiness crept in.
As sleep took him, disjointed sounds echoed—followed by a vision:
A garishly dressed jester-figure slumped at a classroom desk, scratching its head in frustration.
[Sigh... Such trash...]
Its voice dripped contempt.
[Clichéd tropes. Pretentious drivel. Amateurish self-indulgence!]
[Why mustIclean up this hack's mess? Why can'tmydesigns test the Challenger?]
It hurled a desk across the room.
Pacing, agonizing—until suddenly, it looked at Takakai.
[Then... this is the only way.]
A bow, grotesquely deferential.
[A story that denies resolution isn't a story—it'sgarbage.*
[So you'll arrivebeforethe point of no return.]
[May your brilliance cleanse this tainted stage.]
Stage curtains descended, obscuring the classroom—but the jester's final whisper lingered:
[For time runs short... forallof you.]