A hug.
Without hesitation, Fujiwara Chika immediately threw her arms around Takakai.
A tight embrace, filled with the soft scent of a girl and the warmth of her body.
So intimate, in fact, that the usual "back-of-the-head-hole guy"—who showed up every loop—didn't even approach to chat this time. He just glanced at them from afar, muttered "Couples, huh? I won't be a third wheel," and walked away.
Seriously, these [human-impersonating] entities are weird as hell.
Like that security guard who, when faced with a group of players in uniforms insisting they'd "accidentally mixed up the shift schedule," actually sounded slightly aggrieved in his tone. Takakai could practically sense the guy's委屈.
I wonder if Maki and Kaguya can exploit this in the research base to gain an early advantage.
Either way, it was time to end this.
This damn cave had already killed Takakai twice.
The first time—getting squeezed like toothpaste by that woman—was at least quick.
The second time?
Pure, unadulterated torture.
The kind that gave him genuine claustrophobia.
The kind he never wanted to experience again.
And before that—
"Can I call you 'A-kai'? Or 'Kai-kun'? You can just call me Chika, too!"
Her face flushed, Chika refused to meet his eyes but clung tightly to his collar, pressing herself against him.
Clearly, after escaping the dungeon, she'd learned the full functionality of Takakai's watch from Kaguya and Maki.
She knew why she retained her memories now.
Knew it wasn't just her feelings for him.
At first, in the joy of reunion, she hadn't paid much attention to the details.
But now, calm and collected, her face burned red—so much so that she looked like a ripe apple, tempting enough to bite.
"'A-kai'? Sure. Then I'll call you 'Chika,' okay?"
Takakai nodded naturally. The nickname was fine—as long as it wasn't something like "Tall Nut," he didn't care.
"Ehehe~ A-kai, A-kai-don dayo~! It's kinda catchy! So… we're still heading to the [Heart], right? Since that's what [Explorers] have to do."
After a brief moment of playfulness, Chika took a deep breath, her expression quickly turning serious.
Though she still looked like a newbie fresh into the game, she now had a full month of research on the Sacrifice Game—and an especially vivid memory of Red Nut Ash Cave.
This time, she wouldn't leave any regrets.
As a gamer, she refused to let Takakai disappear from her sight again.
"Yeah, that's the first priority. But before that—Chika, you investigated a lot, right? Any intel I don't know? I could really use it now."
"Of course! That whole month, I worked with Kaguya-san and Shiina-san to track down players and gather info. Luckily, since this is a max-difficulty [Twilight]-class dungeon, everyone avoids it—which made collecting intel easier."
As they spoke, Takakai led the way through the cavern, with Chika following closely, rapidly briefing him.
At the same time, Takakai didn't forget to relay information to Maki through their mental link—dumping all the intel from the second loop onto her.
Though… he didn't mention Chika saving him.
Even though he'd mentally committed to the "all of the above" route, he hadn't found the right moment to bring it up yet.
Probably just guilt.
Not that he regretted it.
Key Intel from Chika's Investigation:
[Red Nut Ash Cave] Exists in Reality
After flying to the location, the trio found the cave gone—but historical records confirmed its existence.
Shirakawa Apartments was also verified as real.
Corporate Shenanigans
The Shiina Group (Kaguya's family) had invested in the cave—donating equipment and funds.
Where that money went? Well… probably into Anthony T. Bush and co.'s pockets.
The Missing
Howard Smith, Susan, Paddy, Wilbur—all confirmed real.
Paddy vanished during the flood (likely at the ribbon-cutting ceremony).
Wilbur fled to Europe, then Russia, but returned two years later… and disappeared.
Howard was declared dead post-flood, but his grave was empty. Takakai suspected the research base took him.
The Anomaly: Susan
In reality, Susan was a woman in her 60s or 70s—yet in the dungeon, she was young and agile.
Was she the [Final Actor]?
The Forbidden Names
Professor Fernen & General Shegela:
Kaguya received family warnings just for trying to investigate.
Maki hit dead ends.
Chika, using political connections, learned these names were tied to classified U.S. projects.
Fernen might still be alive—his files were top-secret. (Dead men don't need that level of secrecy.)
The Dungeon's Reality Warp
Post-dungeon formation, the cave seemed to erase itself from public memory.
Non-players would forget their research within hours—even with notes in hand.
Black Blood Bullets
Unlike Japan's Bone Ash and Purple Talismans, these had no known production method.
Only a few U.S. players knew the source—likely tied to the Bush family.
Meanwhile, in the Research Base…
Shiina Maki couldn't shake a nagging feeling.
Even with all the intel from Takakai, something felt off.
Was he hiding something?
Was he pushing himself too hard after dying twice?
And then there was Fujiwara Chika—a girl Maki barely knew.
Why was she so comfortable around Kai?
Why did she seem… experienced?
A subtle sense of crisis prickled at Maki's instincts.
Back in the Cave…
Takakai's group encountered two new players—Zero Shelby and Ed Young—both freed from Kawa's mental influence this loop.
(Meanwhile, Kawa himself was freaking out over his missing Obsession, while Denis filmed him for "a prank show.")
At the Pillar Plaza, Takakai met Lixar and Susan again.
This time, he was wary.
Because Chika had told him one crucial fact:
"No player named Lixar ever returned."
And Susan?
If she was really an old woman in reality…
What was she doing here, looking so young?
Takakai smiled politely at Lixar.
Lixar smiled back.
Two perfectly normal, friendly smiles.
But in Takakai's mind, alarms were blaring.
This guy isn't just a player.
He's something else.