"Ten times! I want ten times!"
Hearing the Succubus Girl's aggrieved inner thoughts, Amamiya Natsuki could only say:
"Let's clear the stage first…"
The Succubus Girl persisted: "It's settled then, after we clear the stage, I want ten times!"
Amamiya Natsuki: "Kitagawa Marin, please don't drain the pond to catch all the fish."
Kitagawa Marin: "I'm laying my cards on the table, I'm going to drain you dry!"
"…"
A moment later.
Amamiya Natsuki silently recited in his mind:
"I'm in position."
The Succubus Girl responded with her inner thoughts:
"We are also ready."
"Begin action."
Bang!
Counting down three-two-one in his mind, Amamiya Natsuki rolled into the room.
"It's you again, you bastard!"
Enemies meeting, eyes burning with hatred.
Yote, wearing mud armor, held a black mud spear in each of his arms. The moment they met, he threw the spears in his hands towards Amamiya Natsuki.
A roaring explosion.
The spears transformed into black lightning, shooting forth.
At the same time.
Yote suddenly low-growled:
"Hiruko, catch him!"
The white-haired, red-eyed, petite Hiruko no Kami stretched out her right hand towards Amamiya Natsuki with a blank expression.
Amamiya Natsuki didn't dare to hesitate, he quickly looked at Hiruko no Kami, his eyes turning into pink hearts.
"Hmm…"
Hiruko no Kami's body suddenly trembled, a delicate blush quickly rose on her small face, and she knelt on one knee, gasping for breath while clutching her chest.
However, in the next second.
Yote, wearing black mud armor, suddenly revealed a sinister smile on his face:
"You've been tricked."
Hiruko no Kami's body trembled, her body deformed and grew taller, quickly transforming into a cold, beautiful woman in a white coat, who was none other than Head nurse Nezu encountered in the previous cycle.
After the time reset in the previous cycle, Yote immediately asked Hiruko no Kami why she had betrayed him at that time. After understanding Amamiya Natsuki's ability, his goal immediately changed from tricking out Time Stop to tricking out the Wife Stealing skill, absolutely not wanting to be a miserable NTR victim again.
The safest way to avoid being cuckolded was to find someone to impersonate Hiruko no Kami, and it seemed the plan was very successful.
Bang.
Amamiya Natsuki rolled to dodge the black spear, then knelt on one knee, lightly clicking his tongue and saying:
"I almost fell for your trick."
"Hmm?"
Yote's footsteps suddenly paused, and he looked over with surprise and uncertainty.
The next second.
Amamiya Natsuki's body changed, transforming into a blonde maid with a side ponytail, who was none other than Hayasaka Ai, who had been acting in the shadows.
Seeing Hayasaka, Yote's face showed an incredulous look of surprise and doubt, and he said in a deep voice:
"Impossible! Your ability must have been used already, otherwise why would she have turned into that appearance?"
Hayasaka Ai crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her head, and said:
"If you say it's been used, then it's been used."
Saying that, she slightly raised her chin and said nonchalantly:
"Continue your performance."
"…"
Yote's expression fluctuated, just as he was about to speak, his face suddenly changed, and he said in a low voice:
"Hiruko, time reset!"
As the words fell, an inconspicuous vase in the corner twisted and deformed, revealing the appearance of Hiruko no Kami.
At the same time.
Hayasaka Ai grabbed the Leg Attachment on her thigh and threw it into the air.
Bang!
Amamiya Natsuki appeared out of thin air, landing in front of Hiruko no Kami, and smiled:
"Hiruko, we meet again. Would you like some apple candy?"
Amamiya Natsuki did not use the Wife Stealing skill immediately, but instead, while speaking, he narrowed his eyes and observed. A prompt soon appeared before him.
[After careful observation, you have confirmed the identity of Hiruko no Kami in front of you…]
Hiruko no Kami's movements paused slightly, and she nodded:
"…I want to eat."
Seeing that Hiruko no Kami did not obey his command to immediately reset time, Yote was both shocked and enraged. He suddenly plunged his other hand into the mud on his chest and pulled out a black remote control.
At the same time.
Amamiya Natsuki heard Marin's inner thoughts in his mind:
"Natsuki, it's confirmed, Yote's true name is Higashikata Shiori."
To trigger the rule, one must call out the opponent's true name.
Amamiya Natsuki took a deep breath and decisively shouted:
"Higashikata Shiori!"
The Midnight Theater rule was triggered.
Yote did not perform a backflip immediately. Under the effect of the rule, his body suddenly twisted, and he fell to the ground with a thud, the detonator in his hand dropping with him.
Amamiya Natsuki reached out and grabbed: "Accio."
The detonator, which had fallen into mid-air, suddenly turned and flew towards Amamiya Natsuki.
At the same time.
Hayasaka Ai unhesitatingly closed in, not intending to say a word, and decisively made her move, her iron hammer suddenly falling.
Boom!
The black mud armor shattered under the heavy blow, revealing the middle-aged man with a pained expression inside.
Hiruko no Kami turned to look, extended her right hand, wanting to reset time.
Amamiya Natsuki, of course, would not give her the chance. He decisively transformed into a NTR Villain and looked into Hiruko no Kami's eyes.
Their gazes met.
Hiruko no Kami's body trembled slightly, and her raised hand stopped.
"Doctor Higashikata, goodbye."
The Spy Maid did not hesitate, decisively delivering the final fatal blow, killing the Yote clone.
Amamiya Natsuki, meanwhile, pulled Hiruko no Kami aside, took out an apple candy and handed it to her, saying gently:
"Hiruko, where is Doctor Higashikata's main body?"
To cut the grass, one must remove the roots.
Having finally caught Yote in the fourth cycle, Amamiya Natsuki certainly did not want to start a fifth cycle. So, even though the information from the previous cycle stated that Yote's main body was already old and barely clinging to life, without even the strength to move, Amamiya Natsuki would not give him an opportunity.
Hiruko no Kami is actually a very simple creature. If she likes something, she likes it, unlike humans who have so many complex thoughts. Otherwise, she wouldn't have willingly served as Yote's tool for three hundred years.
Now that she had been conquered by Amamiya Natsuki, she placed Amamiya Natsuki in the position of the most important person, so she easily revealed the location of Yote's main body.
"He's in the stone room behind, I'll take you there."
"…"
Amamiya Natsuki and Hayasaka followed, entering an underground secret room.
In the dimly lit secret room, there was only a faint cold light. An old man with white hair, missing teeth, and skin that had completely turned into orange peel lay on the bed, his chest rising and falling, making rasping sounds from his mouth.
"Doctor Higashikata, we meet again."
Amamiya Natsuki walked to the bedside, his gaze fixed. A prompt soon appeared before him, confirming his identity as the first director of Rhombus Hospital, who had lived for over three hundred years.
Humans certainly cannot live for three or four hundred years. The reason this fellow didn't die was entirely due to Hiruko no Kami providing him with life force daily. It could be said that his contribution was half the reason Hiruko no Kami's injuries could never recover. Unfortunately, even so, after over three hundred years, this body was still inevitably heading towards decay. This was the sorrow between long-lived and short-lived species.
The old man's eyes were cloudy, and he tremblingly stretched out his right hand, reaching towards Hiruko no Kami beside Amamiya Natsuki, his voice hoarse and dry:
"Hiruko... Hiruko...!"
Slap.
Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand and slapped away the other party's arm, not giving the other party any chance to make a comeback. He could be a Wife Stealing villain, but he would never be a villain who died from talking too much.
"Then..." Amamiya Natsuki decisively made his move, "Farewell."
"..."
Having dealt with this old geezer who had lived for three or four hundred years, it could be said that the greatest danger had been eliminated.
Amamiya Natsuki informed Marin through his thoughts, telling the girls to gather.
A moment later.
"President, is everything settled?"
Fujiwara Chika poked out her pretty face and asked in a low voice.
"It's settled." Amamiya Natsuki nodded, "Come in and rest for a while."
Kitagawa Marin put her right hand on her hip and said:
"This time, we can finally clear the game."
Amamiya Natsuki looked at the Succubus Girl: "Don't jinx it before the coffin is sealed."
"Hmph!"
Kitagawa Marin puffed out her cheeks, turned her head away, and demonstrated with her actions that she was very unhappy.
She was the first to start dating, but then her boyfriend was stolen by someone. Failure, a big, capital F failure in life!
Thinking of this, Kitagawa Marin couldn't help but glance at Hayasaka again, her eyes full of grievance.
She didn't expect that a seemingly straightforward Hanamori-chan like you would be so fond of stealing. It's too much.
"Eh?" Noticing Marin's resentful gaze, Hayasaka Ai couldn't help but say somewhat guiltily, "Marin-chan, what's wrong?"
Kitagawa Marin said faintly: "What's wrong with me, Hanamori-chan should be very clear, right?"
Hayasaka Ai: "..."
Pervert Senpai!
A blush quickly rose on the Spy Maid's pretty face. She guiltily turned her face away, glaring at Amamiya Natsuki with a mix of shame and anger, her eyes questioning:
"You, you actually told someone?!"
"I didn't, I didn't." Amamiya Natsuki's expression was exceptionally innocent, "It's all the fault of being able to hear each other's thoughts."
"..."
Tsubame ignored them, pursed her lips, and reminded:
"I wonder how Yukino and the others are doing now. Should we notify them?"
"We definitely should notify them." Amamiya Natsuki nodded, took out his notebook, and prepared to communicate with Shoko, "I'll notify them."
There was no phone signal in the cave system. Before Amamiya Natsuki came, he had copied the notebook skill from Komi, and now it was just right for communicating remotely.
"Shoko, are you there?"
Soon, a line of delicate handwriting quietly appeared on Amamiya Natsuki's notebook.
"I'm here."
Amamiya Natsuki: "There's something very important I want to tell Shoko."
Komi: "What is it?"
Amamiya Natsuki: "I like Shoko."
Komi: "..."
Amamiya Natsuki: "Didn't you see clearly? Then I'll say it again, I like Shoko."
Komi: "Don't, don't say it..."
Amamiya Natsuki: "Does Shoko hate me?"
The the timid girl: "No, that's not it."
Amamiya Natsuki: "Then how much does Shoko like me?"
The the timid girl: "Ugh..."
In the previous loop, Amamiya Natsuki confessed to Shoko in front of Juju and recorded the situation in his notebook. Now, he had let go of his inhibitions and was ready to openly take advantage of the the timid girl.
"Shoko? Are you okay?" Juju looked up with her small face, "Why did your face suddenly turn super red?"
"I, I'm fine..."
Komi quickly shook her head, nervously hugged the notebook to her chest, looked down at her toes, took a few deep breaths to calm herself slightly, then turned the page of the notebook and wrote:
"Natsuki-kun said they've finished the task and want us to meet up."
"Yay!" Sayu happily made a V-sign, her smile bright, "Let's hurry and meet up with Natsuki!"
"Don't be impulsive." Yukinoshita Yukino stopped Sayu, her voice calm, and she narrowed her bright eyes, looking towards the passage, "Wait a little longer... Shoko, ask Natsuki to move the shadows away from the entrance."
"Mm-hmm."
Komi quickly nodded, holding the pen and sending messages on the notebook.
A moment later.
The shadow legion blocking the passage quietly retreated, and only then did the girls pass through the passage and meet up with Amamiya Natsuki and the others.
"Juju!"
"Sayu-chan!"
After reuniting, they were naturally very happy.
There were still a few hours until dawn, and everyone did not relax their vigilance. They stayed by Hiruko no Kami to prevent any accidents.
Time passed by quietly, minute by minute, until finally the last moment arrived.
"Sister?"
Yukinoshita Yukino looked at Haruno beside her and asked in a low voice.
Haruno held up three fingers and answered softly: "There are three more minutes."
"That's good."
Yukinoshita Yukino let out a slight sigh of relief.
In fact, Amamiya Natsuki and Kaguya's dungeon quests had all been completed. In the previous loops, they could have chosen to clear the game and leave at any time. The main reason they stayed was Haruno.
As a new player, Haruno had only one dungeon quest: survive for twenty-four hours.
This quest was actually very simple. As long as she didn't participate in the Summer Festival at night and bought a swimming ring, Haruno could even clear the game by drifting alone in the sea. The indigenous people and tourists on the Island were already sufficient as food, and a few small fish that slipped through the net didn't matter.
But once a player's identity was exposed, leaving Haruno alone in the dungeon would mean certain death. She would 100% be caught by the shadows, and her fate would be imaginable...
Yukinoshita Yukino pursed her lips, looked up at Amamiya Natsuki, and said softly:
"Thank you."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"Has anyone ever told you that when you thank someone, you should show sincerity?"
Yukinoshita Yukino's pretty face hardened, and she crossed her arms, saying:
"Has anyone ever told you that taking advantage of kindness is very excessive?"
Amamiya Natsuki said without changing his expression:
"I think not repaying kindness and only offering verbal thanks is even more excessive."
"Exactly." Yukinoshita Haruno leaned closer, her eyes curved into crescent moons, and her voice was clear as she said, "Leave the matter of repayment to me. I don't mind being a snail girl."
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but turn her head to look, biting her silver teeth lightly as she said:
"Sister, don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not talking nonsense." Yukinoshita Haruno's smile was bright, "I mean it."
"..."
Yukinoshita Yukino let out a helpless sigh, raised a slender finger, and pressed it to her brow.
No matter what, I've remembered this kindness.
Three minutes passed in a flash.
Yukinoshita Haruno's eyes lit up, and she raised her hand, saying:
"I received a game notification. I've met the clear conditions."
"It's finally over!" Fujiwara Chika happily raised both hands, "The real Summer Festival, here I come!"
Kitagawa Marin also smiled brightly: "We finally cleared the game!"
Amamiya Natsuki stood up and said:
"Let's clear the game."
Hiruko no Kami looked up: "Are you leaving?"
"Yes." Amamiya Natsuki nodded, "See you if fate allows."
He had tried to recruit Hiruko no Kami as an employee before, but unfortunately, he couldn't, so they could only part ways. After all, feelings obtained by the NTR skill were just fake feelings and couldn't be taken seriously.
As the first ray of dawn pierced the darkness, and morning arrived, the players' figures quietly dissipated in the cave.
The fresh sea breeze blew on his face. After the dizziness in his mind subsided, Amamiya Natsuki opened his eyes and found himself standing at the bow of the ship, facing a clear, azure sky and a shimmering, deep blue sea.
"Cleared the game."
Amamiya Natsuki took a deep breath of the fresh sea breeze and turned to look beside him.
Beside him was Kaguya, her red ribbon, used to tie up her hair, gently fluttering in the sea breeze.
Beside Kaguya was secretary Chika, with an extremely dark bow tied in her bangs.
Looking further to the right, beside Chika was Marin, with golden hair reaching her waist.
Then, in order, were Hayasaka, Tsubame, Juju, Shoko, Sayu, and the two sisters of the Yukinoshita family. Everyone was standing at the bow of the ship, not a single one missing.
"Cleared the game! Cleared the game!" Fujiwara Chika happily raised both hands above her head, facing the sea, "It's finally over."
"Eh, isn't that Island in front of us Hito Island?" Tsubame-senpai widened her eyes, pointing to a verdant small Island ahead, "Hmm... We're on the cruise ship going to the island?"
Hayasaka Ai nodded: "That's right, it's this ship."
Haruno exclaimed: "How wonderful! We stayed there for so long, but only a few minutes have passed in real time."
Amamiya Natsuki interjected:
"Does everyone want to go ashore and play for a while?"
"No."
"Don't want to play at all."
"Already traumatized."
"..."
The girls unanimously rejected the suggestion of revisiting the place, and collectively decided to leave directly with the cruise ship.
It was noon, and the cruise ship would dock at the shore for an hour. After a brief discussion, everyone decided to disembark first and eat something. The next hour was the crew's lunch break and cleaning time, and staying on the ship the whole time would be too conspicuous.
A moment later.
The cruise ship slowly docked at the shore.
Amamiya Natsuki and his group lined up, preparing to disembark.
"Oh, there's a notice board there, it says the time for the Summer Festival and the Fireworks Festival..." Tsubame pointed and said softly, "It's tonight, the time is exactly the same as in the dungeon."
Fujiwara Chika widened her eyes and said:
"Hey, hey, hey, President, look quickly, those elementary school student on the sea look so familiar."
Amamiya Natsuki looked over at the sound and whispered, "Of course they look familiar, we just kidnapped them before."
The elementary school student running around with small buckets and shovels were no longer important. Amamiya Natsuki just glanced at them, then shifted his gaze to a white-bearded old man not far from the dock.
In the fourth loop, it was from him that they rented a small boat, then investigated the enemy with Hayasaka…
Amamiya Natsuki turned to look at the Spy Maid, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Perverted senpai, don't even think about it!" Hayasaka Ai's pretty face quickly flushed at a visible speed. She crossed her arms over her chest and whispered, "That was just a mistake made in the instance. In reality, we have no relationship!"
"Alright then." Amamiya Natsuki replied in a low voice, "Since you said so, I won't be responsible for the baby."
"…Die!!!"
"The people from the instance actually appeared in reality. I feel a bit dizzy…" Kitagawa Marin pressed her forehead, then suddenly widened her eyes, "Eh, wait a minute, if they were originally real people, then there won't really be Shadows and Hiruko no Kami on the Island, will there?"
Amamiya Natsuki said softly:
"That possibility cannot be ruled out."
The strangeness of the other world had begun to invade, and the boundary between reality and the instance had also blurred.
As everyone left the deck and stepped onto the Island ground, a refreshing cool breeze suddenly blew from the Island.
Amamiya Natsuki instinctively narrowed his eyes, feeling a soft hum in his mind, and various unfamiliar memories instantly surged forth.
First loop.
Second loop.
Third loop.
Memories from all loops came flooding back…