After doing all this, Bai Yuze felt his consciousness begin to blur. At this moment, he showed a slight smile.
As for how to break the fifth cycle, he had already laid the groundwork for his memory recovery later...
——————
Bai Yuze opened his eyes and felt the world spinning. He glanced at the unfamiliar surroundings and immediately realized that he had entered the dungeon trial Horikita Manabu had mentioned.
He found himself lying on a dilapidated bed, and there was another person sleeping beside him.
"Yukinoshita Yukino! Wait! Why do I feel like I've said that before?"
Bai Yuze trusted his intuition deeply, so he immediately checked his surroundings and whether he had anything on him.
Sure enough, he found four scratches on his wrist, some deep, some shallow, and words written with an oil-based pen on his wrist.
"When in doubt, slit your wrist and open the book!"
"Uh... this looks like my handwriting... have I developed some kind of masochistic tendency?"
Although it was hard to believe, Bai Yuze recognized his own handwriting.
He was a bit confused; why would he commit suicide out of the blue? Was the strict requirement of this dungeon that he couldn't leave completely intact?
He was confused at first, but then, looking at Yukinoshita Yukino lying on the bed, his eyes became firm.
He walked towards Yukinoshita Yukino and grabbed her wrist, but no matter how he checked, he couldn't find any scratches on Yukino's wrist.
"Could it be that this handwriting was really left by me? Just to make me slit my wrist?"
Before Bai Yuze could think, Yukino, who was lying on the bed, suddenly rolled over and pinned Bai Yuze to the bed.
The sudden pain stimulated Bai Yuze's brain, and a few frames of images flashed through his mind.
"Wait! I feel like I've experienced this scene somewhere!"
"Hmph! A bold pervert like you is like a rat crossing the street outside, getting beaten, cursed, and spat on every day, right! Have you become so rampant now?
Tell me! How did you kidnap me from my home! Where are your accomplices?"
Facing Yukino's stern questioning, Bai Yuze did not answer. Instead, he muttered to himself.
"Someone should be wailing soon, her name is...?"
"Ah!"
As soon as Bai Yuze finished speaking, a wail reached both of their ears.
"This is! Yui Yuigahama!"
Yukino was flustered with concern, and Bai Yuze, seizing the moment Yukino relaxed, took the opportunity to break free from Yukino's control. After breaking free, he immediately ran towards room 102.
At this moment, many images were flashing through his mind. He knew the answer he sought was about to be revealed.
"No! Stop right there!"
Seeing Bai Yuze run out without looking back, Yukino quickly chased after him, worried that he might lay a hand on Youbihama.
By the time Yukino arrived, Bai Yuze was already in the room. He stared blankly at the male corpse in 102, or more accurately, at the scalpel on the male corpse's neck.
"Wuwuwu! Yukino! I'm so scared!"
Tuanzi immediately pounced on Yukino when she saw her. Just as Yukino was about to comfort her, she saw an even more shocking scene.
Bai Yuze pulled the scalpel from the male corpse's neck, wiped it a few times on his clothes, and then slashed at his wrist.
Bai Yuze was still for a moment, then burst into laughter.
The laughter drew the attention of both girls to him.
Bai Yuze was laughing with a cheerful expression, but his wrist was bleeding, a truly eerie sight.
At this moment, Bai Yuze's consciousness returned. He looked at the two girls with some embarrassment and chuckled sheepishly.
"Uh... that... can either of you bandage this? My wrist is bleeding..."
Yukino: ...
Tuanzi: ...
—————
"So... you mean you were recovering your memory just now? We're currently in a rule-based anomaly? And this is already the fifth cycle?"
After cutting a piece of cloth from the male corpse with the scalpel and simply bandaging Bai Yuze, the three began to chat.
"Exactly, that's why I acted that way, all to recover my memories."
Bai Yuze nodded, feeling emotional about the smooth progress of his plan and how Tuanzi was still so naive.
"Hmph, maybe this is just a trick of yours, meant to gain our trust."
Yukino crossed her arms, her expression cold. She couldn't and wouldn't believe what Bai Yuze said.
She never believed in ghosts or spirits; she only believed in science. However, there is a saying, "Existence is reasonable."
"Hehehe, though it's quite fantastical, I feel that Bai Yuze isn't lying. By the way, Yukino, you say you don't believe Bai Yuze, but you were very serious when you bandaged him!"
Tuanzi once again acted as a lubricant, constantly easing the tense atmosphere.
In fact, it didn't matter even if Tuanzi didn't say anything nice; Bai Yuze saw all of Yukino's actions. He knew that beneath the white snow lay a warm heart.
"I! I was afraid he'd die here, you fly! One must lend a hand to the weak, it was just a convenient thing to do!"
Yukino argued tsundere-like, while also giving Youbihama a resentful look. We're on the same side, why are you siding with him?
In response, Tuanzi could only blink and stick out her tongue.
However, now was not the time to admire Yukino's tsundere side. The most important thing at hand was to make Yukino believe everything here.
As for how to gain Yukino's trust, Bai Yuze was already prepared.
"If you don't believe me, there's a note in room 101. The person who wrote it calls himself 'Yang Peng.' You can go take a look."
Yukino looked at Bai Yuze suspiciously, but to expose his lie, Yukino still went to 101, taking Youbihama with her.
Soon after, the two girls returned. As soon as they entered, Tuanzi exclaimed in surprise.
"Wow! Xiao Ze! You're amazing! There really is a note in room 101, and he really calls himself 'Yang Peng'!"
"Yui Yuigahama, don't be fooled by him. The handwriting on the note is the same as the handwriting on his wrist. He said the writing on his wrist was his own, which means he wrote this note himself!"
Yukino confidently pointed out the handwriting on the note, to which Bai Yuze said helplessly.
"There's nothing I can do, this note will be corrupted. It can only exist for four cycles, so I had to hand-copy one and put it up."
"Hmph, I think this is all just a show you put on yourself."
Currently, Yukino wouldn't listen to anything, as it's hard for people to deny the "truth" they see.
However, Bai Yuze had other methods.
"You can check yourselves for injuries. I remember Yukino had bruises, and Tuanzi had burn marks on her chest."
"Hmph, how arrogant! Do you think you control everything? You're just a pathetic worm who can't even accept the outcome of his lies being exposed!"
Facing Yukino's mockery, Bai Yuze merely smiled faintly.
"Are you scared?"
"A boring provocation, but I will make you lose wholeheartedly!"
"Yui Yuigahama, you go check. I'll stay here and guard Mr. Kidnapper, in case Mr. Kidnapper goes wild and does something befitting his identity."
"Huh? Oh!"
Tuanzi was still confused about the "Tuanzi" Bai Yuze mentioned, but after hearing Yukino's suggestion, she gave up on pursuing the identity of "Tuanzi."
"Aren't you afraid I'll go wild if you're here alone?"
Bai Yuze felt like laughing. In his opinion, Yukino was very smart, but being smart didn't mean one wasn't foolish. Not to mention the physical strength difference between men and women, just considering that he still held a scalpel, the outcome was already clear.
"Oh? Has Mr. Kidnapper finally revealed his true colors?"
Yukino appeared calm and indifferent on the surface, but in reality, cold sweat was already beading on her forehead. Her original intention in sending Youbihama away was to have her find the exit, while she held Bai Yuze back here.
Even in the worst-case scenario, one of them could escape, but she clearly overestimated Tuanzi's CPU. After all, her usual nutrition had all gone to other places.
Bang!
"Yukino! I really do have burn marks on my chest!"
Yukino: ...?
"Why aren't you looking for the exit???" ╭(°A°`)╮
Yukino was a bit flustered. She didn't expect Youbihama to actually check her body!
"Huh? (๑•̌.•̑๑)ˀ̣ˀ̣ An exit? What exit? Weren't you telling me to check if I had any injuries?"
"None of that matters! The point isn't to escape from here???" (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)
"Oh! That's right! Then why didn't you say so, Yukino?" (O∆O)!
"If I said it clearly, wouldn't he know?" (>Д<)
"Oh! That's right!" (O∆O)
Yukino: ...