Doorway silence lasted over 30 minutes.
Shinomiya Kaguya finally stopped listening at the door.
"The footsteps went downstairs," she whispered, then motioned Takakai and Shijou Maki deeper down the hall.
Room 208's layout matched 204's—same bizarre straight hallway turning sharply at the end.
A wall clock hung by the living room door. Takami recalled 204's clock time and calculated—this one matched.
"Every room's clock is absolutely accurate?"
He suddenly remembered this rule.
*If I alter this clock's time, would it still be [accurate]?*
He didn't act. Testing rules wasn't the priority yet.
Moreover, they'd already encountered rule-breaking anomalies. The guidelines stated outside became unsafe only after 9pm, yet it was clearly daytime when that bizarre incident occurred.
Possibility 1: Guidelines weren't wrong. Outside was still safe; they'd just experienced a non-fatal anomaly.
Possibility 2: They misjudged time. It *was* nighttime, and the window light was deceptive.
Possibility 3: Guidelines were outdated—no longer protective.
Takakai leaned toward #3.
The guidelines emphasized *living* over *survival*. Their compiler clearly wasn't illiterate. Likely, past survivors here formed a community and created these rules.
But when Takakai's group got dragged into this "sacrificial game," the rooms showed no recent habitation. Even the guidelines were dusty (if less so than broken furniture).
So their guidelines might be obsolete.
This thought deepened Takakai's unease.
*No—don't jump to conclusions.*
The earlier anomaly hadn't breached the room. So indoor safety was probably correctly stated. But since both he and Shinomiya Kaguya left their original rooms, caution remained vital.
*Creak—*
While he pondered, Shijou Maki (leading) opened the living room door. Takakai followed; Shinomiya Kaguya entered last.
208's living room resembled 204's, but with a square coffee table (not round), a worn sofa, and 3-4 stools. The kitchen door stood intact but open.
No printed rules here. Had past survivors missed this room?
"No safety concerns. I woke up here and already searched it," said Shijou Maki, leaning against a wall. She casually placed her rules copy on a cabinet.
Unlike the "losing heroine" image from the original work, this Shijou Maki exuded a cold aura akin to Kaguya's—though her gaze merely discomforted, unlike Kaguya's knife-like sharpness.
*Ah, right—in the original, she's basically "Kaguya Lily: Sunshine Losing-Heroine Edition."*
Strip away the tsundere tropes, and she's a top-tier zaibatsu heiress—knowledgeable, perceptive, and skilled. Potentially more valuable than Shinomiya Kaguya as an ally, since Kaguya's family-induced twisted personality required careful handling, while Shijou Maki was a pure angel who'd never betray him unless he monumentally screwed up.
"Takakai-san, what do you know?" Shinomiya Kaguya asked directly, trusting Shijou Maki's safety assessment.
"In the hallway, you first observed surroundings. You noticed that 'Lao Guo' man—your gaze lingered. Not just because he seemed authoritative, but for your own reasons."
"When he abnormally entered and locked a room, you immediately copied him—like using his actions as a guide. Earlier, you accepted the guidelines' authenticity uncritically, as if you'd seen similar things before."
"I want explanations. If honest, we can form a temporary alliance. With mine and Maki-san's help, you'd gain significant advantages."
She spoke rapidly, coldly.
While Takakai observed others, Shinomiya Kaguya had studied *him*, noting these anomalies.
Both girls were on high alert. Shinomiya Kaguya's slightly bent knees suggested she'd strike if he acted suspicious. Shijou Maki subtly held a rusted fork behind her back—a "tetanus enchantment" waiting to happen.
Allies or enemies? His next words decided.
Takakai raised both hands visibly, then spoke: