Faced with Amamiya Natsuki's logical paradox, the evil spirit next door immediately fell silent, leaving only the sound of its nails scratching the wooden board, clearly indicating a chaotic mind.
A moment later.
A pale, bloodless, slender hand reached out from the next cubicle again, its tone eerie:
"The tissue… give it back to me."
Since it couldn't figure it out, it simply wanted the tissue back. This way, there would naturally be no logical paradox.
Unfortunately, Amamiya Natsuki wouldn't indulge it.
It was already a forced sale, and now it wanted to take it back? Don't think an evil spirit can do whatever it wants!
Whoosh~
Amamiya Natsuki decisively pressed the flushing toilet, and the two tissues disappeared with the water flow. Then he said:
"I'm sorry, all the tissues have been used up. You can now continue to ponder the logical paradox."
"…"
The cubicle fell silent again, followed by a creaking sound, which seemed to be gnashing teeth.
The next second.
The pale hand suddenly grew sharp nails and, in a fit of rage, lunged towards Amamiya Natsuki.
Hey.
So you're just going to break the rules and attack directly, huh?
You set the rules yourself, and now you're going back on your word? It's time to let you know the consequences of going back on your word!
Amamiya Natsuki raised his eyebrows. To be safe, he didn't use his hand but lifted his right foot and stomped down.
Bang!
With one stomp, the evil spirit's hand was directly deformed, and black blood splattered out. Fortunately, evil spirits have no human rights, otherwise Amamiya Natsuki would be guilty of intentional injury.
A piercing scream suddenly erupted from the next cubicle.
The tissue evil spirit wanted to pull its hand back, but Amamiya Natsuki was too strong and it couldn't break free at all.
"Come on, let me take a look."
Amamiya Natsuki lifted his other foot and kicked out, violently dismantling the cubicle partition. He quickly got a clear look at the evil spirit next door. This guy was sitting on the toilet, wearing a sailor uniform with long hair, likely a former student of this school. However, her skin was pale, her eyes were pitch black, and she was dripping wet all over, looking quite miserable… She might have been an unlucky victim of campus bullying, and after turning into an evil spirit, she began to take revenge on everyone in this school.
Seeing that Amamiya Natsuki had actually kicked off the door panel, the tissue evil spirit's face showed a hint of panic, then it remembered its identity as an evil spirit, suddenly looked up, and opened its mouth in a fierce display of intimidation.
"Ha…!"
Amamiya Natsuki expressionlessly picked up a toilet plunger and looked down, saying:
"Try to be fierce again, let me see?"
"I-I'm sorry!"
Looking at the biological weapon about to be shoved in its face, the tissue evil spirit frantically closed its mouth and obediently apologized.
(Such a weak evil spirit, it feels a bit strange…)
Amamiya Natsuki slightly narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the tissue evil spirit, and began to observe intently.
After a few seconds.
A prompt quietly appeared before his eyes:
You found a restroom evil spirit tormented by a logical paradox. Current state: pitiful, weak, and helpless.
After careful observation, you found that this evil spirit is being controlled by invisible spider silk.
"Spider silk? A controlled evil spirit?"
Amamiya Natsuki frowned, scrutinizing the tissue evil spirit up and down, but no matter how he looked, he couldn't see the presence of spider silk.
So, the situation with the junior high girl and Kaguya just now was caused by invisible spider silk control?
Even this evil spirit is a puppet manipulated by spider silk…
Then… who is the owner of the spider silk?
Amamiya Natsuki let out a light breath and asked in a deep voice:
"Has anyone like me entered this school?"
The tissue evil spirit nodded obediently.
Indeed.
This school was not an empty, abandoned checkpoint; rather, all the humans in the checkpoint had already encountered danger.
Amamiya Natsuki then asked:
"Have you met a high school girl with pink hair, black bows in her bangs, and large breasts? She should also have a slightly shorter sister with the same pink hair and equally large breasts."
"…"
The tissue evil spirit shook its head blankly.
Amamiya Natsuki's expression was calm.
Not encountering them doesn't mean Chika and Moeha aren't at school.
This tissue evil spirit clearly has social anxiety and probably always hides in the restroom and never goes out. If it weren't for Hanamaru, the junior high girl, needing to use the restroom, she wouldn't have met it. It's normal that she hasn't seen Chika and Moeha.
Amamiya Natsuki asked again:
"Where have all those humans gone?"
"…"
The tissue evil spirit glanced out the window in a panic, then shook its head repeatedly.
"Answer my question."
Amamiya Natsuki raised the toilet plunger in his hand.
However, despite the threat of the biological weapon, the tissue evil spirit continued to shake its head, its expression terrified, occasionally casting panicked glances out the window.
"Is it unwilling to say, or unable to say?"
Amamiya Natsuki followed its gaze outwards, silently noting the location, then asked again:
"Who is the owner of the spider silk?"
"... ..."
The tissue evil spirit's body suddenly trembled, and she frantically shook her head again, covering her mouth tightly with her other hand, her expression terrified.
"Then I'll look myself."
Amamiya Natsuki pondered for two seconds, then used Miko's [Advanced Spirit Vision] ability.
So far, he still hadn't seen the existence of the spider web.
Invisible attacks were the most terrifying. No matter what, he had to first see the 'spider web' to figure out a solution.
His eyes warmed slightly.
When Amamiya Natsuki opened his eyes again, he finally clearly saw the so-called spider web.
It was a spider web formed by black mist of resentment, not a physical entity. It could penetrate buildings and windows—the black spider web penetrated the window without obstruction, entering the tissue evil spirit's head, while the other end of the spider web extended into the darkness.
Amamiya Natsuki did not act rashly. The resentful spider web seemed to have a splitting effect. He took out a magic rope, first tied up the tissue evil spirit, then walked to the window and looked out.
The night was deep.
A blood moon hung high in the night sky.
Amamiya Natsuki narrowed his eyes, carefully observing the trajectory of the resentful spider web. Fortunately, this spider web didn't twist and turn, but extended straight towards a certain building in the night.
"That direction..." Amamiya Natsuki recalled the campus outline map he saw at the school gate in his mind, "Is it the gymnasium?"
Withdrawing his gaze, Amamiya Natsuki dragged the tissue evil spirit out of the restroom.
"President, are you out?"
Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the tissue evil spirit.
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"It was it who gave the tissue next door."
"Su-sure enough, it's an evil spirit!" The junior high girl, dangling in mid-air, swayed and immediately widened her eyes, "Good thing I reacted in time and didn't take the tissue it gave me!"
Amamiya Natsuki heard this and couldn't help but cast a subtle gaze.
You didn't bring your own tissue, and you didn't take the evil spirit's tissue, so you just came out after using the restroom?
The junior high girl actually understood Amamiya Natsuki's gaze, her small face quickly flushed red. She initially stammered, wanting to explain, but then changed her mind and quickly resigned herself to despair.
She was in despair.
There was no need to explain anymore... She had already run naked in front of her senpai, her life was already socially dead!
"The tissue evil spirit should be a controlled predatory puppet..."
Amamiya Natsuki described in detail what happened when he entered the restroom.
"Spider web?"
Shinomiya Kaguya subconsciously looked up, gazing at the heads of the tissue evil spirit and the junior high girl, but it was empty and she saw nothing.
"The potion is useless." Amamiya Natsuki shook his head, "I used Miko's spirit vision ability to see the appearance of the spider web."
Shinomiya Kaguya pursed her lips and whispered:
"It's been almost ten minutes since I broke free from the spider web's control. The evil spirit behind the spider web hasn't appeared, so it seems breaking free from control won't attract its attention... Let's save Hanamaru first."
"Ye-yes." The swaying little girl in mid-air quickly said pitifully, "The rope is really uncomfortable, senpai and senpai sister, please save me quickly."
"Keep quiet." Amamiya Natsuki instructed, then took out a fire axe and looked at the tissue evil spirit, saying, "Let's try it first."
Seeing Amamiya Natsuki take out the axe, the tissue evil spirit immediately trembled, regretting immensely why she had let Amamiya Natsuki choose the tissue.
Amamiya Natsuki flicked his wrist, and the fire axe slashed above the tissue evil spirit's head.
"It's no use?"
Seeing Amamiya Natsuki frown, Kaguya asked softly.
Amamiya Natsuki put away the axe and said:
"It really has no effect, the spider web is still there."
The spider web's material was unclear. Ordinary people couldn't see or touch it, and even the fire axe, which could harm evil spirits, had no effect when it slashed through it.
"Generally speaking, real-world spider webs are afraid of fire." Shinomiya Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest and suggested, "President, why don't you try with fire?"
"Then let's try it."
Amamiya Natsuki thought for a moment and took out a box of ordinary matches.
This spider web thing was very special. Ordinary flames might not have much effect. Since he was going to burn it, of course, he would use a different kind of flame.
Amamiya Natsuki opened the matchbox, and inside, neatly arranged, were crimson matches, all painstakingly made by the little girl.
Hiss~
After lighting a match, an orange-yellow flame immediately ignited, and a special power that warmed the heart and soothed emotions emerged, making everyone feel exceptionally warm, even the tissue evil spirit on the ground, whose expression softened.
Amamiya Natsuki held the match and brought it above the tissue evil spirit's head. The warm flame gently flickered, and soon it burned through the spider web above the tissue evil spirit's head.
"It worked." Amamiya Natsuki's eyes lit up, "It's burned through."
Hearing this, the junior high girl immediately swayed: "Me too! Me too!"
"Don't worry." Shinomiya Kaguya whispered, "Let's observe it first to see if there's anything abnormal."
... ...
Under the gaze of Amamiya Natsuki and Shinomiya, the tissue evil spirit trembled.
One minute passed.
Two minutes passed.
After three minutes...
"It seems there's no problem." Shinomiya Kaguya gently exhaled, "President, please put Hanamaru down."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded, put down the junior high girl who was dangling in mid-air, and then used the match to burn the spider web above the junior high girl's head.
"Ugh..." The junior high girl's head kept turning, tears welling up in excitement, "My body finally won't move around anymore."
Shinomiya Kaguya walked to the junior high girl, untied the magic rope, and then said:
"Get up first."
Amamiya Natsuki continued to interrogate the tissue evil spirit.
"The spider web's owner is in the gymnasium?"
Looking at the blood-stained axe in Amamiya Natsuki's hand, the tissue evil spirit was very sensible and nodded obediently.
Amamiya Natsuki asked again:
"Are all the humans who mistakenly entered the campus in the gymnasium?"
"Ye-yes..."
The tissue evil spirit wasn't very intelligent and began to speak falteringly, her words jumbled. Amamiya Natsuki and Shinomiya pieced it together to get the truth.
There was an incredibly powerful entity lurking in the campus, which was the owner of the spider web. Besides that, there were ordinary evil spirits like her. The school was so big, of course, it couldn't have only one evil spirit, but all evil spirits were controlled by the terrifying entity with spider webs. The spider webs could split, and any unfortunate person who entered through the Door of Despair, as long as they were touched by the evil spirits, would have their bodies controlled by the spider webs and then walk into the gymnasium themselves.
As for what was in the gymnasium, and what the terrifying entity's true face was, the tissue evil spirit didn't know.
After extracting the last drop of value from the tissue evil spirit, Amamiya Natsuki waved his hand and said:
"You can go back."
The tissue evil spirit stumbled and crawled, fleeing back into the restroom in a sorry state.
"The campus is so quiet because everyone has been taken to the gymnasium." Amamiya Natsuki looked at Kaguya, "I don't know if Chika and Moeha are in this school, but no matter what, we have to go check it out. I..."
"Let's go together." Shinomiya Kaguya stepped forward, came to Amamiya Natsuki's side, and said calmly, "President said that the spider webs are above everyone's heads, right?"
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and said:
"Currently, it seems to be the case."
Shinomiya Kaguya extended her right hand and said:
"Give me a box of matches, just in case."
"Okay."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded, dismissing the idea of exploring the gymnasium alone, and handed a box of matches to Kaguya.
It was actually good for two people to act together. If anything happened, they could look out for each other.
"As for Hanamaru..."
Amamiya Natsuki turned to look at the junior high girl.
"Senpai, don't leave me!" The junior high girl immediately panicked, "I want to go with senpai!"
Amamiya Natsuki said expressionlessly:
"The gymnasium must be very dangerous, you can find a corner to hide."
"No, no, no!" The junior high girl quickly shook her head, "I don't want to be alone, I want to act with senpai and senpai sister!"
The junior high girl clasped her hands in front of her chest, took a deep breath, and said nervously:
"If we really encounter danger, senpai can use me however you want, throw me out as a decoy to create an opportunity for senpai and senpai sister, I don't mind!"
I didn't realize you had such high resolve!
Since she had said that much, Amamiya Natsuki agreed to let the junior high girl act with them. If an emergency occurred, he wouldn't feel guilty about throwing her out as a decoy.
Shinomiya Kaguya tied her hair band and whispered:
"Let's go."
... ...
The group walked out of the teaching building and headed towards the gymnasium.
A moment later.
"We've reached the gymnasium."
Amamiya Natsuki stopped and said softly.
In the night sky.
Aside from a blood moon hanging high, there was no starlight at all. The entire campus was dead silent and dark, and the gymnasium inside was equally pitch black.
"Wait for me here." Amamiya Natsuki looked at Shinomiya and the junior high girl, and whispered, "I'll go find the entrance first."
Shinomiya Kaguya nodded slightly, took the miniature clone, and whispered:
"Keep in touch at all times."
"Hmm."
Amamiya Natsuki's figure flickered, and he quickly disappeared into the darkness.
The effect of the Witch Potion he had drunk earlier had not yet disappeared. With night vision and Miko's advanced spirit vision, Amamiya Natsuki quietly made his way to the gymnasium entrance.
"Hmm? The door is open?"
Amamiya Natsuki narrowed his eyes slightly, and with a thought, he quickly realized.
For those unfortunate people controlled by the spider web to come to the gymnasium, walking through the main door was naturally the simplest method.
However, just walking in so boldly, the degree of danger was hard to say...
Amamiya Natsuki considered for a few seconds, still deciding to play it safe. His figure flickered, and he began to circle the gymnasium.
A moment later.
Amamiya Natsuki circled to the back of the gymnasium and finally saw an open window on the second floor.
"Let's go up and take a look."
Amamiya Natsuki simply leaped up, not needing any tools, and easily jumped to the second-floor window. He cautiously observed the environment inside, and soon his gaze focused, then he exhaled lightly, quietly jumped back to the ground, and returned to Kaguya's side.
"President, how's the situation?" Shinomiya Kaguya asked softly.
Amamiya Natsuki whispered:
"There are many very large spider cocoons inside."
"Spider cocoons..." Shinomiya Kaguya's gaze sharpened. "Are they human?"
Amamiya Natsuki said with a serious expression:
"There's nothing here but spider cocoons. Most likely, everyone is inside the cocoons."
Hearing this, the junior high girl had already raised her hands and nervously covered her mouth.
Spiders spinning cocoons is usually a feeding behavior. In other words, everyone became food for the spiders?
Watching their own bodies lose control, walking step by step into the gymnasium, and then being wrapped in a cocoon as food... it's hard to imagine how despairing that would be.
Shinomiya Kaguya tightened her pretty face, took a deep breath, and said:
"Let's go in and see if we can rescue the people in the cocoons."
"..."
Amamiya Natsuki led the two girls around to the back of the gymnasium, then took out a grappling hook to help Shinomiya and the junior high girl reach the second floor.
Flipping through the window into the gymnasium, they saw that the entire first floor of the vast gymnasium was covered with various white spiderwebs, and in the middle of the gymnasium were dozens of spider cocoons of all sizes. The sheer number made one's scalp tingle.
These spider cocoons were enormous, some directly presenting a human silhouette, the creatures wrapped inside were self-evident.
"Be careful not to touch the spiderwebs."
Amamiya Natsuki instructed, then led the two girls to the first floor of the gymnasium and stopped in front of the nearest spider cocoon.
"First, try with a knife."
Amamiya Natsuki took out his weapon and tried to cut the spider silk, but it was incredibly tough and couldn't be cut at all.
"Let's use fire instead." Shinomiya Kaguya lit a match and held it towards the spider cocoon.
Every object has its weakness. In reality, spider silk is extremely afraid of fire, and the same was true here. Under the burning of the flames, the spider silk quickly broke, revealing what was inside.
"Ah..."
The junior high girl couldn't help but exclaim, and then Amamiya Natsuki quickly covered her mouth.
Inside the spider cocoon was a shriveled, unlucky person who had been completely devoured, their eyes turned into black holes, leaving only skin and bones...