Splash—
Warm water cascaded over the girl's pale feet, droplets scattering in all directions.
After rinsing off the soap and drying herself, she lowered her head, allowing the attendant beside her to blow-dry her hair and help her into pajamas.
Barefoot, she pushed open the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom—its curtains already drawn.
"Any updates from Takakai-kun?"
Seated on the edge of the bed, Kaguya turned to Hayasaka with the question.
"None so far. After receiving the participant roster and their general abilities, Master has not relayed further information. Per prior agreement, we should focus on adequate rest to ensure optimal condition for the upcoming operation."
Hayasaka's voice was as neutral as ever—no different from her usual tone when addressing Kaguya.
If you ignored the "Master" part, that is.
By now, Kaguya had long since accepted that her maid had been essentially stolen by Takakai.
Not that Hayasaka had abandoned her duties—she remained loyal, and Takakai had no intention of issuing orders harmful to Kaguya.
So Kaguya simply… looked the other way.
But it still stings.
After all the effort I put into rescuing her, now she's just… Takakai this, Master that. Shameless. Disgraceful. Even disregarding my commands in favor of his.
For someone as security-starved as Kaguya, it was agonizing.
…Though, in hindsight, I can't blame her.
After what she'd endured, Hayasaka's dependence on Takakai was inevitable.
Hell, even I feel like I can't let go of him now.
"Then there's nothing else tonight. You should rest too. The Shinomiya household isn't as strict now—delegate some tasks to the others. Don't overwork yourself."
"Understood. Goodnight, Shinomiya-sama."
Their exchange ended as abruptly as it began.
Alone in her room, Kaguya exhaled deeply before collapsing onto the bed.
From becoming a player to now—barely two months had passed.
The life-and-death struggle in [Shirakawa Apartments].
Takakai's proposal to confront her family.
Their escape from [Nutty Putty Cave].
Then, with his help, she had shattered her family's control—even seizing power over them in turn.
And later, to save Hayasaka, he had plunged into certain death without hesitation.
No—worse.
He had died in [Shirasawa Elementary]. He had paid with his life.
At first, it was just about ensuring he wouldn't abandon me. Just my own insecurity driving me closer.
But looking back… for someone as proud as me to tolerate a man who can't stay loyal, who's entangled with so many women… there had to be a reason.
"Takakai-kun… Takakai-kun… Kai… mm… Kai…"
She tried to voice the more intimate nickname—but the words wouldn't come.
Why is this so hard?
Rolling across the bed in frustration, Kaguya finally forced herself to calm down.
This is pointless.
The next dungeon loomed ahead. Rather than obsessing over trivialities, she needed to rest—to face the coming crisis at her best.
With that thought, Kaguya instinctively undid her pajama top, folded the bottoms neatly beside her pillow, and—with slightly flushed cheeks—slid under the covers.
The canine regression wasn't something that would fade in days or weeks.
A mental-type obsession object might have helped—but Kaguya would never seek aid for something so embarrassing.
So she struggled alone—with limited success.
"Haa…"
Pulling the covers up to her chin, Kaguya's slender frame trembled faintly.
She told herself this was temporary—but the urge to kick off the blankets and sleep belly-down, like a dog, was maddening.
Pride won out—barely.
Still, her sleeping posture unconsciously shifted toward something distinctly… puppy-like.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka—having returned to her own room and showered—emerged naked from the bathroom and flopped straight onto her bed.
(Note: She had also stolen Takakai's clothes post-dungeon and now slept with them.)
"Mm… Master's scent…"
Mumbling, she curled into a ball—entwined with the sheets andTakakai's stolen attire.
Clearly, neither mistress nor maid had fully shaken [Shirasawa Elementary's] influence.
(Though to outsiders, the signs were far subtler.)
Time marched on.
The return to [School Horror Tales]—the dungeon that had left Takakai with so many unpleasant memories—drew nearer.
After organizing [The Market's] files and distributing relevant details to Chika, Kaguya, Hayasaka, and Miko, Maki spent the night at Takakai's hotel.
But with the dungeon approaching, they restrained themselves—so much so that Maki woke before him the next morning, leaving breakfast ordered via room service before heading to school.
"A death game in a few days, and she's still attending class. Japanese high schoolers are baffling."
Takakai mused upon finding himself alone in bed.
After breakfast, he set out to wander the streets.
The intel from [Slackers] and [Crimson Covenant] wasn't exhaustive—but enough to form a baseline understanding.
As for [The Market], Gotou Hitori's full disclosure had unexpectedly pressured him—while Aoyama Nanami'stotal opacity was downright perplexing.
Her anime's over a decade old, but I remember bits.
Why would someone so kind and self-reliant in canon stonewall like this?
Prior interactions suggested Nanami was friendly toward Takakai's team—making this sudden secrecy jarring.
Is a blessing or obsession object forcing her silence?
Pondering, Takakai ambled down the sidewalk—until snippets of conversation caught his ear.
"That idol Alice… God, how could someone like that exist? It's unthinkable!"
"Japan actually let this happen? Every judge and official involved should be lined up and shot."
"Scary how zero news outlets covered this back then…"
The fallout from [Fujika
Middle School]?
Pausing, Takakai watched the speakers—a group of young adults—walk away.
To dismantle the dungeon's core obsession, players had exposed Alice's crimes online—omitting the supernatural.
Thus, ordinary remembered.
The scandal still rippled—though to Takakai, it was meaningless.
Politicians bowed. Media scrambled. People gossiped.
Yet life went on.
Workers still toiled.
The idle young treated it as dinner-table trivia.
The victims—erased from existence—wouldn't return.
Their suffering wouldn't vanish just because justice finally came.
Even Takakai's "salvation" had merely freed them—washing their souls clean for new lives.
New lives…
His gaze dropped to the watch on his wrist.
The Key of All Things.
That was KP No-Face's name for it.
The artifact granting retries and wish-granted abilities.
Takakai had long suspected its power leaned toward [Hell] or [Yama's Court]—half-expecting Shikieiki to pop out.
But The Key of All Things?
The title didn't quite fit.
The All-in-One he knew bore no connection to judgment or rebirth.
Unless… the name refers to just one facet? Or is there more to this watch?
Shaking off the thought, Takakai continued walking—until he spotted her.
A girl in a baseball cap, thick black glasses, a mask, and a winter coat (in this weather)—hovering nervously at a street corner, as if psyching herself up for something.
That silhouette—unmistakable.
Gotou Hitori.
The coat hid her figure well—but Takakai was Takakai.
He knew.
Slowing his steps, he approached silently—closing in on the hyper-focused, oblivious girl.
As he neared, he noticed the staircase beside her—descending to what looked like an underground live house.
The starting point from Bocchi the Rock!?
Is this the place?
Come to think of it, I've only seen Bocchi-chan with her obsession object guitar. Never a normal one.
And she's always at [The Market] now. Has she quit music entirely?
What about Kessoku Band?
The implications were brutal.
Kita Ikuyo—possessed, lost to the dungeon, trapped between life and death.
To non-players, she had never existed.
The band would've shrunk from four to three—with two members forgetting the fourth.
How did Hitori cope with that?
By now, Takakai was ten meters away—
—when Hitori finally sensed him and whirled around.
From the stairs below, faint voices reached Takakai's ears—
—before being drowned out by:
"Eeek!!"
For a split second, Takakai swore he'd startled a cat.
THUD—
Then the advertising board behind Hitorishook—
—as the launched-into-orbit girl punched straight through it.
[To Be Continued...]