Gotou Hitori was brushing her teeth.
Humming a tune, she scrubbed away, utterly at ease—despite the faceless students sharing the sink beside her.
Despite being in a Twilight-Night dungeon that had mutated beyond recognition.
To her, this was just another morning.
Gargle—spit—rinse.
Sunlight streamed through the window as she stepped into the hallway, glancing back at her room number: 604.
Top floor, huh?
A bulletin board nearby displayed the dormitory rules—first the bland "Basic Regulations," then...
It shifted.
Stains spread like mold. The text warped into the Survival Rules—the same ones Takakai and Miko had seen.
So three of us see the truth. And Miko... she never saw the "normal" version at all.
Hitori touched the key in her pocket—a critical item, per the rules—and stored it in her hairpin artifact for safekeeping.
A faceless student passed by, carrying a bag.
"Hey there! Lovely weather, isn't it? Let's give our youth our all!"
Hitori struck a pose, star-shaped glasses glinting.
The student paused.
[...■ye■h...]
A garbled reply. A wave. Then it shuffled toward the stairs.
Success.
Hitori smirked.
This was why she loved non-humans.
They were predictable. Programmed. No awkwardness, no judgment—just conditional responses.
If only real people were this easy.
Time: 7:13 AM.
17 minutes until mandatory evacuation.
Hitori allotted 16 minutes for exploration.
First test: the "permission to enter" rule.
She knocked on a random dorm door.
"Hello! I'm from Room 604. Mind if I come in?"
A muffled voice replied:
[Co■... in...]
The door creaked open.
Inside, four blurred figures in sailor uniforms sat motionless.
Hitori stepped in without hesitation.
Meanwhile, on the 5th Floor...
The gathered players—eight women—descended the dim stairwell.
Kumami led, her cane-like artifact tapping ahead.
Aoyama Nanami brought up the rear, calm as ever.
"No need to wait for Gotou. Let's regroup with the others first," she said.
Shinomiya Kaguya frowned. "She's... operating alone?"
"If she chooses to, let her," Kumami chuckled. "Those two have their methods."
Kaguya glanced at Nanami, who nodded reassuringly.
So... remote monitoring?
Just how deep do a crimson Moon player's resources go?
Shijou Maki's thoughts churned.
Takakai's warning echoed in her mind:
"Miko sees the real rules. Hide that fact."
Yet part of her insisted Miko saw the same thing as everyone else.
Two conflicting truths, coexisting.
No. This is the dungeon's influence.
She gritted her teeth—
—then froze.
A whisper slithered past:
"Hey, heard about the 'Bedframe Man' on the 3rd floor?"
Two now-distinct female students chatted as they passed.
Their faces—once blurred—were clearing.
Their voices—once silent—were audible.
...We're syncing with this place.
2nd Floor Stairwell – 7:17 AM
Takakai leaned against the wall, watching the women descend.
"Hey there. Smooth sailing?"
The teams had reunited.
Below them, the 1st-floor lobby awaited—and beyond it, the school grounds.
But the clock was ticking.
23 minutes until lockdown.