[Cave Base Security Personnel Regulations]
1. Assignments rotate weekly. No unauthorized chatter. No interaction with explorers beyond duty. Do not assist researchers unless requested.
2. All assignments are paired. Solo tasks are errors—report them.
3. If your partner acts erratic (confusion, muttering, insistence on going somewhere), restrain them. If uncontrollable, lethal force is permitted.
4. Isolation Zone guards must undergo post-shift debriefing. Recite your ID, role, and code. Fail, and you're sent back.
5. Schedules are fixed one week in advance. Changes require General Shegela's approval.
6. No entry to Analysis/Research Zones without Professor Vernon and General Shegela's consent.
7. All noises from Isolation Zone are hallucinations. Ignore them. Report if they impair function.
8. Take your daily anti psychotics. They suppress the cave's [hallucinogenic microbes]. Do not share your dose.
[9. Any exploration personnel acting outside protocols may be terminated immediately without authorization.]
[10. Researchers found without proper keycards or in restricted areas during unauthorized times must be detained. Lethal force is permitted if necessary, but prioritize capture.]
[11. Security personnel will never enter the area behind the Isolation Zone inspection room. You will not receive such orders. This zone is irrelevant to your duties.]
[12. General Shegela holds supreme command. Professor Vernon has secondary authority. Conflicting orders default to General Shegela's directives.]
[13. The recreation zone is the only area where uniforms may be removed. Outside this zone (excluding toilets, baths, and dormitories), formal attire is mandatory. Personalized clothing is prohibited.]
[14. Isolation Zone assignments require confirmation from General Shegela's office. Only he may appoint personnel to this area.]
[Interpretation rights reserved by Professor Vernon & General Shegela.]
Part 1: The Recreation Zone
Shinomiya Kaguya finished reading the folded rules tucked inside a black tactical uniform's pocket. She stepped forward, pushing open a door to reveal a large bar.
Dozens of soldiers and researchers drank here—their helmets removed, exposing crushed, mangled faces. Yet they laughed, argued, and hummed tunes like living patrons. None reacted to Kaguya's presence.
This is the third floor's recreation zone. Despite the base's compact size, its facilities were disturbingly comprehensive. Kaguya noted the absence of an armory—a far more strategic bombing target than the surveillance room.
Her objective now: locate the power grid's security personnel.
As she moved through the bar, a camera's red light flickered. The surveillance room is destroyed, yet these devices still function. The anomalies ignored them, just as they'd ignored the explosion earlier. Only Professor Vernon had paused briefly before resuming his routine.
Why such delayed reactions? Kaguya mused. Chika mentioned encountering "lively" anomalies in the caves. What causes this discrepancy?
The Cafeteria & Beyond
The next room reeked of grease—a cafeteria serving grilled meats. Researchers and soldiers gorged on油腻 dishes, their grotesque jaws unhinging to swallow whole cuts. Kaguya suppressed a shudder (such barbaric meals...) and pressed on.
She passed:
A game arcade with claw machines and racing simulators.
A sports zone where entities shot hoops with dislocated arms.
Each area bustled with "life," as if these creatures still needed leisure.
Finally, a corridor led to a restroom. Inside, two fleshy masses writhed together—a scene Kaguya had already witnessed (and scrubbed from memory) when stealing her uniform earlier.
But now, her focus locked onto a guard with a keyring. A swift theft later, she retreated to the bar, then toward the stairs.
Part 2: The Archives Heist
Meanwhile, Shijou Maki and Fujiwara Chika infiltrated the archives, pretending to retrieve documents while pocketing random files for later study.
"Avoid File 01," Chika whispered. "Takakai-kun already reviewed it last loop. He briefed me—I'll share the details later."
A lie. In reality, Maki had described the file's contents during their month in the real world. But Chika needed this pretext to steer their search.
Just how many secrets does Akira hide? Chika's pulse quickened. A man with such power...
"He trusts you quite a bit," Maki remarked, eyeing Chika with suspicion.
"Of course! I'm great at horror games~" Chika deflected with a grin, though Maki's frown lingered.
They exited, leaving the invisible doll behind as a spy.
The Dormitory Confrontation
Back in their dorm, Maki arranged the stolen files while Chika "struggled" under the weight of her stack (a dramatic flourish). Then—
"Shijou-san, can I ask you something?" Chika's tone turned uncharacteristically soft.
"Hm?"
"Are you Takakai-kun's girlfriend?"
Maki froze.