Takakai dreamed.
He was a harem king in a 2D fanfic, effortlessly romancing hundreds of girls—so many he couldn't cycle through them in a year. Every day was a degenerate paradise.
No one could oppose him. His cheat? A sign-in system granting infinite power and wealth—one that could even morph into girls. Lolis, black-stockinged onee-sans, busty babes—you name it.
His life? Pure, unfiltered ecstasy.
Ah…
This… this was the life…
Then he woke up.
The debauched fantasy—so extreme it'd summon Slaanesh—vanished like mist.
Replaced by a damp, tomb-like chill.
What's this feeling?
Before opening his eyes, he caught a musty odor—like moldy, rotting wood.
The stench of an abandoned house.
Where am I?
He opened his eyes.
Unfamiliar ceiling.
Cracked white walls. Exposed wiring nailed to a hanging light. The bulb was old-style, coated in grime—unreadable, possibly dead.
Boarded-up windows, covered with nailed cloth, barely letting in light. Daytime, probably.
A small round table with a broken-legged stool. A dead plant in a pot.
A doorway without a door led to a tiny kitchen—dusty dishes piled in the sink.
An aged wooden door beside him, cracked diagonally—someone could peek through.
Nightstands at the bed's head and foot. On one: an A4 printout, densely packed with text. Unlike everything else, it was clean—recently placed.
This was a derelict apartment.
Why am I here?
Kidnapping?
No, that couldn't be it. The last thing he remembered before blacking out didn't show any signs of an attack.
And now, there was clearly another person beside him.
Takakai could hear their breathing, could even catch the faint floral scent of women's shampoo.
A woman was lying right next to him, in this decrepit, run-down room, sharing the same filthy bed.
Her breathing had changed the moment he turned his head to survey the room—she was probably pretending to sleep.
A setup? A honey trap?
Wait, was kidnapping someone from their home just to pull a scam like that even a thing? That didn't seem normal at all.
Either way, he needed to get up and assess the situation. If this really was a setup, then he'd have no choice but to engage in a Dark Duel™ right here. He'd heard it was the best way for Japanese guys to deal with gold-diggers. Takakai figured that was a life lesson worth learning.
Bzzzz—
But before he could move, a piercing, nails-on-chalkboard screech suddenly echoed inside his skull.
In that instant, Takakai realized his body had locked up completely. He couldn't move a muscle, forced to endure that grating noise reverberating in his mind.
Bzzzz—
The unbearable sound lasted a full ten seconds before finally fading.
Then came a voice—genderless, unrecognizable, so distorted that just hearing it sent chills down his spine.
[Welcome to the Sacrifice Game]
The first line sounded familiar, like he'd just heard it moments ago.
[Player: Takakai. This is your first game. Game Difficulty: Twilight]
[Your clear condition: Escape from Shirakawa Apartments]
[Time limit for this game: Seven days]
[The following are your game hints. Use them wisely.]
[Hint 1: The path to survival lies within the messages left by those before you.]
[Hint 2: A door reopened will lead to hope.]
[Hint 3: Precious things hidden in dust bring happiness.]
[Hint 4: The secret lies in the one place you must never go.]
[Hints complete. May you survive this game and approach the throne that witnesses the end.]
The entire message took less than a minute.
After that bizarre, incomprehensible announcement, the eerie voice vanished—and the paralysis gripping Takakai's body lifted. He could move again.
"What… the hell…?"
Regaining control so abruptly sent Takakai tumbling off the bed. Mid-fall, he instinctively grabbed an A4 sheet from the nightstand, stuffed it into his shirt, then hit the floor and scrambled up in a panic.
He was now absolutely certain: he'd been dragged into some kind of supernatural horror event. The deadly, terrifying kind.
Wait, no, hold on—this wasn't right.
Wasn't he supposed to be isekai'd into a lighthearted harem anime world?
What was this sudden death game nonsense?!
Can I get a refund? Can I quit? This is way beyond my comfort zone! Why the sudden genre shift?! Can't we just stick to a nice, fanservicey rom-com?!
Despite the mental ranting, Takakai was already on his feet, putting distance between himself and the bed while keeping an eye on the hole-ridden wooden door and the kitchen entrance. His gaze locked onto the bed in the corner of the cramped living area.
And there she was—a girl with long, jet-black hair, sitting up with an icy expression, her sharp eyes scrutinizing him like he was trash.
Red pupils.
A bit flat-chested.
A black long-sleeved dress with white cuffs and a red ribbon tie.
That design, that disgusted glare—it instantly triggered Takakai's otaku DNA.
Wasn't this… wasn't this that photographer? Wait, no—this was Kaguya in her Ice Queen phase! The untouchable, pre-character-development Kaguya Shinomiya from Love is War!
Just what kind of isekai story had he stumbled into?!
At this moment, Takakai's brain was in chaos, struggling to process what kind of protagonist he was even supposed to be.