Back in her cell, Kaguya listened to the coughing from the adjacent room.
The man—Howard—sounded worse today. His voice wavered between lucidity and delirium, as if his mind was unraveling.
[Hehe... They stole it... stole from her...]*
[Must get it back... or everyone dies... you too...hehehehehehehe..]*
Nails screeched against metal. A sudden gasp.
[Who's there?]*
[Another prisoner?]*
[I'm Howard. Your name?]*
[...No answer? Ha... Just me again...]*
[No no no—was anyone ever there?]*
Kaguya remained silent. This was the seventh repetition of the same cycle.
Part of her caution stemmed from the Isolation Ward Regulations she'd glimpsed during her imprisonment:
Isolation Ward Management Rules
No guards permitted. Personnel may stay no longer than 1 hour per visit (3 hours max per 24h).
Do not speak to prisoners. Prisoners are silent—they do not talk.
Do not review cell footage without authorization. Do not disturb them.
Confirm the ward's concrete structure before entry. If you see anomalies upon opening the door, do not enter. Seal it and return the next day.
Deliver food via mechanical hatches. Do not look or listen during transfer.
Use biometric systems to confirm survival. If a cell registers no life signs, skip meals that day.
Only reuse cells after 3 days of no activity. If a supposedly empty cell triggers sensors, abort and request reassignment.
Lights out at 22:00, on at 07:00. If a cell's light fails, do not investigate. Report it.
The central confinement chamber is sealed. If you hear voices from it, leave immediately. You will be reassigned.
Note: These rules have no stated penalties. Compliance is mandatory.
That final line unsettled her most. It implied the consequences of breaking them were beyond the need for written punishment.
So Kaguya waited. Motionless.
The food slot in her cell door clanked open. A tray slid in—today's rations.
She retrieved it but didn't eat.
Outside, the footsteps paused at only two other cells before leaving.
Her neighbor's cell received no delivery.
Was it truly empty?
Then—unnoticed by Kaguya—the isolation ward's main door creaked open again minutes after the guard's departure.
A vigilant Shijou Maki carefully stepped into the eerie space, blood key clutched tightly. Behind her, Fujiwara Chika—now dressed in a soldier's uniform—reopened the door after it closed and headed toward the isolation zone.
At that moment, the stealth doll Maki controlled had slipped out through the food delivery hatch and immediately followed Chika to assist in her mission.
Maki's objective was clear: find Shinomiya Kaguya and extract her from that sealed, nightmarish cell.
There was still much to do.
The discovery of [Black Blood Bullet] prototypes in the Research Zone raised countless questions.
Nutty Putty Cave was a relic of the last century, yet these bullets had resurfaced decades later as equipment for American players in the horror game. The implications were staggering—what connected these events?
Additionally, what was the [Lost One] mentioned in the game prompts? Could they be found in the prison block? This was another crucial reason for Maki's infiltration. The voice Kaguya heard through the wall—which the doll had also clearly recorded—needed investigation.
As for Chika, her target was different—or rather, a different person.
A man named [General Sheglar].
The research base had two leaders: Professor Fernen for the scientists, and Sheglar for the military.
Many rules placed them on equal footing, yet documents suggested Sheglar's authority surpassed Fernen's—he should have been the true overseer. Yet across three loops, no one had ever seen him. He existed only as a name, a ghost in the records.
Thus, Chika's mission was to infiltrate Sheglar's office using her soldier disguise—by force if necessary.
With the doll accompanying her, Maki could monitor Chika's progress in real-time and provide support via blood key whenever needed. After all, the research base was full of doors.
Meanwhile, the sole person barred from entering—Takakai—was no longer holed up in the safehouse. He had torn down Wilbur's note, dismantled the master switch lever, and stuffed it into his backpack (now carried by Maki).
In exchange, Takakai had taken two homemade explosives without explanation.
The Abyss Beckons
Splashing through murky water, Takakai arrived at Nutty Putty Cave's upper region—the [Plain].
He'd already visited the guard post, encountering Shelby and Ed, who reported that Rixuel had returned briefly before vanishing again, while Susan had also disappeared after a short stay.
Not lingering, Takakai pressed onward.
At the junction between [Stone Forest Path] and the Plain, he spotted a shivering figure—Wang Gui, the middle-aged novice player he'd met earlier. The man's mining expertise (specifically, demolitions) made him valuable, so Takakai directed him to the guard post before proceeding to the [Gentle Slope].
Takakai remembered the rules well:
Firefighters must never enter the Gentle Slope
The giant fissure was especially forbidden
The official justification: "No rescue targets exist in the Gentle Slope"
A blatant lie.
"Time for a field test."
Using his Rescue Badge, Takakai summoned a rescue team member and ordered it into the Slope. He then retreated to a dry boulder, settling in to observe like a spectator.