Aside from those Obsession Items, the search of Tanaka's backpack turned up two semi-automatic pistols, two boxes of bullets totaling 60 rounds of ammunition, and four homemade explosives detonated through self-made circuits.
These dangerous weapons were likewise completely useless against Horror Stories but posed a serious threat to people. In the end, the two pistols were respectively handed over to Maki and Kaguya, while the explosives were divided equally for the two of them to manage separately.
Incidentally, during the process, Takumi asked Maki and Kaguya whether they knew how to shoot. When he received a negative answer, Green stepped forward with a smile and said that he could use a gun. Knowing just how unreliable this guy was at crucial moments, Takumi handed him the gun with a smile, and when Green was about to reach out and take it, Takumi asked, "If I give it to you, do you really dare take it?" That alone was enough to scare Green so badly that his face changed color, and he repeatedly apologized, not daring to come any closer.
"In short… you've actually already experienced this apartment incident once before. It's just that back then, because of those two people, we failed in the end. Then you pulled the clock's winding string, causing time to rewind, which is why you knew to take action…"
After listening alone to Maki and Takumi's explanation, Kaguya took a deep breath, sat down, and thought for a long time before she could barely accept it all.
However, when Maki and Takumi were alone together again afterward, things weren't so easy to brush past.
"It has nothing to do with the clock, right? This is your own trump card, isn't it, Takumi-kun?"
Standing against the wall in the second-floor corridor under the pallid light, Maki fixed her brown-violet eyes firmly on Takumi ahead of her and spoke seriously. Although she phrased it as a question, her tone was clearly stating a fact.
"That's right. I just didn't expect that this time, you'd remember what happened."
Takumi glanced at his watch, which had already reached the third tick mark, then looked at Maki and replied.
"The so-called rewinding you mentioned in the previous operation—it was a lie too, wasn't it? You actually started over for the third time, right?"
Maki let out a soft sigh and continued to speak. Obviously, this clever girl had already figured everything out.
"Yeah, that's right. But rather than bringing up something completely unfounded, the clock was just easier to use as an explanation, so I chose not to tell the truth at that time."
Takumi didn't hide anything from the girl before him and answered very solemnly.
"I know, I can understand your thoughts, it's just… you really aren't simple at all, huh. What kind of ability is that, exactly? Why does it have such a mysterious effect?"
Maki held herself back again and again, but in the end, she couldn't help asking.
"Even if you ask me that, I don't know either. All I can say is that I've just been exploring this thing's ability through repeated attempts. You know it too—figuring out what this thing does isn't exactly an easy process."
Takumi's expression turned somewhat helpless. Only when he died could he reach that blood-colored city, and that had happened just twice so far—what could he possibly understand about it?
"…Will it bring you danger? This ability—could it be as dangerous as an Obsession Item?"
Seeing Takumi like this, Maki fell silent for a while, but in the end she still couldn't rest easy and asked again.
Even now, she could clearly recall how Takumi had looked lying on her lap back then—how hideous and terrifying that completely twisted, tragic appearance had been. Whenever she thought back on it, she couldn't help but feel deep heartache.
Especially because, even after reaching such a state, Takumi had still not yielded to pain—such willpower made the girl feel even more sorrowful.
In her eyes, being naturally gifted at enduring pain had never been something worth praising. That was why she had always tried to be as gentle as possible toward Takumi, hoping he could show more of his own emotions and feelings.
To be able to revive after death, to make everything start over—
Such a power truly sounded unbelievable, almost like that of a god.
Even though there was already the clock within the Shirakawa Apartments as a tool of rewinding, that thing was, after all, part of a Horror Story and carried obvious limitations.
By comparison, the unknown power within Takumi was far more unsettling, and Maki simply couldn't feel at ease.
"Don't worry. Although I don't really understand the specifics, as long as I don't face a desperate situation like last time, this ability shouldn't hurt me."
Knowing nothing about that blood-colored city, Takumi couldn't bring himself to say anything against his conscience, so he could only comfort the girl this way.
As long as nothing happened to him and he didn't die, then before dying of old age, this thing probably wouldn't harm him. At least for now, Takumi believed his judgment on that was correct—though whether he could actually make it happen in practice was another matter.
"I see…"
Knowing there was nothing more she could say about this, Maki gently nodded and quieted down.
"Mm, anyway, it's really great that you can remember. I thought this time I'd have to face you again when you remembered nothing."
Takumi smiled once more, then spoke his true feelings.
At least in his own view, there was nothing wrong with this sincere remark from his heart.
But for some reason, a blush instantly appeared on Maki's cheeks. She subconsciously averted her gaze from Takumi, and her relaxed posture became noticeably more tense.
Huh? What's wrong with her? Don't tell me what I just said was a bit too cheesy?!
Realizing it a moment later, Takumi sensed something was off, but not knowing how to make up for it, he also felt his own face heat up a little. Embarrassed, he reached up and scratched his head.
"Speaking of which… since you know you can start over, then last time, when you said you'd never been kissed by a girl before—you weren't just using that as an excuse to take advantage of me, were you? You even put on that whole life-and-death act…"
Then, Takumi heard Maki's voice, pressed very low, almost like a whispered murmur.
He didn't see the expression on her face, since Maki had already lowered her head, but he could see her slightly flushed ears, and could imagine that the girl's mood probably wasn't very good right now.
"No, what I said then was true—absolutely true. At that time, it really was a life-and-death moment for me, Maki."
After thinking for a moment, Takumi spoke to Maki with a firm tone.
However, what he was trying to prove was only "I wasn't just trying to take advantage."
What Takumi hadn't realized was that that wasn't what Maki wanted to ask at all.
Her mind was completely occupied by another sentence—the one Takumi had said with a smile at the end: "I really like you, you know."
What the heck, confessing to someone you've only known for three days—that's just like some scummy guy!
No, wait, he's known me longer than I've known him. Maybe for him it's already been many days. And he even said he saw me die in front of him—no, no, that's completely different! This annoying guy is way too frivolous! And besides, I clearly, I clearly already have…
"Hmph, I don't believe a word you say. Who knows if you're lying again? You already tricked me once."
In the end, Maki, whose thoughts had gone slightly haywire, lifted her head, gave a cold snort toward Takumi, and spoke with a harsh tone—though the blush on her cheeks was just as obvious.
So… did he just trigger a tsundere reaction?
Seeing Maki like that, Takumi had to admit that his heart thumped several times in a row.
Although creating this kind of atmosphere in a decrepit, eerie apartment seemed a bit strange, he couldn't deny that he rather enjoyed it…
Takumi turned his head and looked toward the end of the corridor.
Maki, who reacted slightly faster than him, also turned her head and looked toward the end of the hallway.
[Hehe, haha—]
The children were laughing happily.
The children were walking toward them, step by step.
[Ah, children we don't know.]
[Want to come play together?]
[Play together?]
[Play together?]
[Play together~ play together~ pla-play to-together~~]
[Tap tap—tap tap—]
The sound of the children's footsteps drew nearer and nearer.
The children were laughing joyfully.
The children were sending you an invitation to play.
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