"These fragments... they're gradually reconverging."
Maki observed the drifting debris with narrowed eyes. The shattered pieces of Nutty Putty Cave were slowly pulling back together.
With Andres' grudge resolved, the dungeon had been half-destroyed. But Heldar's lingering obsession prevented total collapse. The structure would reform—though what shape it might take was anyone's guess.
We can't wait for that.
Nearby, the blood-soaked aberration that was Heldar stood motionless, having ceased her assault. Forne—now fully transformed—continued writhing as a mutilated flesh-puppet, still attempting to conduct experiments despite his condition.
The mechanical nature of aberrations had never been clearer. They followed scripts without regard for context.
What are these things, really?
Maki's mind raced.
Why did these grudges manifest with such power, yet remain shackled to arbitrary rules? Even anomalies like the Ryoukei couple from Shirakawa Apartments or Forne himself couldn't defy their core parameters.
Who designed these rules?
And why did they resemble game mechanics?
Moreover, Nutty Putty Cave's decades-long history—and its connection to [Black Blood Bullets]—proved the world had once recognized these phenomena. So why did modern players believe the "Sacrifice Game" began only two years ago?
What force erased that knowledge?
And why had the research sector—absent from all prior dungeon iterations—suddenly activate now?
A chilling realization struck her:
If [Black Blood Bullets] relied on materials exclusive to this dungeon... and if destroying the dungeon nullified those materials...
Wouldn't every American player become our enemy?
The thought sent ice through her veins—but Maki's resolve didn't waver.
From the moment they'd entered, Takakai's cursed watch had bound them to this path. Her role was clear: stand by him, no matter the consequences.
Whatever storms awaited, she would face them at his side.
Steadying her breath, Maki returned her focus to the task—observing Forne's twitching mass and Heldar's frozen form from their rocky vantage.
For now, the situation held.
But time was running out.
"Ah... what were you saying just now?"
Maki turned her head, having not quite caught the soft murmur from the pink-haired girl beside her.
"I was talking about Forne," Fujiwara Chika said quietly, her voice tinged with reflection. "A man who believed he could escape all punishment and become a god of a new world... only to end up like this. A perpetually conscious grudge, doomed to wander this dungeon without rest. For someone like him, could there possibly be any greater torment?"
Her words carried a complex mix of emotions - part lament, part grim satisfaction.
While Takakai had gone to the research area's second floor to access Shegira's office for authorization, Chika had taken the opportunity to search through some documents. In Shegira's office, she'd discovered another of Oswald's notebooks that Forne had collected, along with some of Forne's own personal records. It seemed these "secret" materials he'd thought so well-hidden had actually been found by Shegira long ago, who likely hadn't considered them important enough to bother with.
Having read them so recently, Chika could still recall every word perfectly.
[Oswald's Notebook 2]
Found many animal bones in the "Gentle Slope" area fissures. The ancient Qichazhua tribe apparently used this place for sacrifices. They believed this was the mouth of a god - that food offered here would be consumed by the deity, who would then bless them.
According to indigenous records, approaching this fissure outside sacrifice periods was dangerous? Would incur divine punishment? Hard to understand - who would be foolish enough to fall into such an obvious crack?
[Oswald's Notebook 3]
Okay, I take it back. Damn it, just a moment's inattention and I fell into that damned hole.
Being stuck there was awful - my back and knees were scraped raw, and I tore up my hands climbing out. Thankfully it's quite narrow - you only get wedged in a short distance before it stops. Getting free isn't too hard... if you're a professionally trained caving expert.
If we develop this into a tourist site, this area needs railings. I can easily imagine visitors accidentally falling in, and rescuing someone from such a narrow fissure would be extremely difficult.
Though honestly... if the natives' god really existed, was really as powerful as they claimed... why didn't their tribe survive?
Hah. Maybe their false god fled before the light of the Lord.
[Forne's Records]
The god does exist. Scans of the "Great Fissure" detected energy signatures similar to the "veins." No mistake - the Great Fissure once contained an energy reaction of staggering intensity... over 500,000 times stronger than Andres' "vein."
But that entity is no longer there.
Tests indicate it departed over 7,000 years ago. What remains are merely traces of that deity's presence - yet even these faint remnants were enough to make ignorant fools worship.
Those traces have nearly lost all power now. They merely lure people into the fissure - but given its size, anyone falling in would emerge with nothing worse than scrapes and a week of discomfort.
Is this it? Is my research to end here?
All this effort just to find a 7,000-year-old footprint? No. I refuse to accept this.
Let me think... sacrifices? Yes, sacrifices! Those primitive fools would throw meat and grain into the fissure while praying. They believed their god would receive these offerings and bless their tribe's prosperity. Though ultimately doomed to extinction, perhaps their methods hold merit...
Oswald was a fool. His successor Petty was an even greater idiot. With such divine legacy present in these caves, they failed completely to discover or utilize it. That's why they failed in the end - whereas I will be the ultimate victor.
So let's begin. Animal sacrifices seem meaningless. Human sacrifices then - ancient texts indicate sacrificing prisoners from other tribes was considered the highest form of worship. The effects should be excellent.
Next expedition, we'll arrange for any researchers who get stuck in the fissures to... remain there. Best to tamper with their equipment too, lest they struggle free. That would spoil everything.
Excellent. Heaven never seals off all exits - I always find a way. I will continue forward. I will succeed.
God. A true god.
I will reach that realm eventually.
I've invested too much time to fail now. I must succeed. Failure is not an option!
The later entries in what appeared to be Forne's journal grew increasingly unhinged - filled with self-hypnotic repetitions praising himself, assuring himself [I will succeed, I will become a god]. Perhaps the pressures of his research had taken their toll, but Chika had to admit reading those frenzied words left her genuinely unsettled by the man's psyche.
Still, now wasn't the time to share these disturbing findings with Maki - they had more pressing matters at hand.
The two girls maintained their silent vigil over Forne's twitching remains, having prepared multiple contingency plans to ensure that once Takakai issued commands from the office, they could immediately subdue Forne and let Heldar deliver the final blow - resolving the last lingering grudge in Nutty Putty Cave.
As the wait dragged on, anxiety began gnawing at Maki.
I wonder how far Takakai-san has gotten by now?
She couldn't help glancing toward where Kaguya had departed.
With Kaguya-obasan assisting him, those two should reach the office without trouble.
Annoying as that woman is, her abilities are undeniable. Having her support will make things much easier for Takakai-san.
With that thought, Maki allowed herself to believe this mission might actually conclude peacefully.
If only I were stronger... then I could have been the one helping him instead of Kaguya-obasan...
"...!"
Maki's head snapped around the instant her blessing detected something.
In that split second, she saw the gun barrel pointed directly at her head.
Her blessing screamed human - a human radiating nothing but goodwill toward her.
Yet that same human's finger was already squeezing the trigger.
Click—
The gun failed to fire as Maki threw herself aside.
[Huh? What's going on? Where did all the Black Blood Bullets go?]
Lixue examined his magazine in confusion, finding it completely empty.
He couldn't possibly know that with Andres' grudge resolved, all derivative phenomena like the Black Blood Bullets had lost their foundation for existence.
Not that it mattered.
Tossing the useless gun aside, Lixue produced a sharp climbing axe from behind his back.
[Please don't misunderstand - I'm completely on your side. I'm here to help.]
His grin stretched so wide it tore the corners of his mouth. When he discarded the pistol, one of his fingers stuck to it and was flung away too.
Maki's blessing still only detected goodwill - human goodwill from Lixue.
But she wasn't surprised. Takakai had already deduced Lixue's true nature during their earlier encounter - that this was merely a shell, its actions controlled by Forne, who had remade Lixue into this form.
Clearly, Forne knew his survival depended on intervention. Even Takakai hadn't anticipated Lixue could reconstitute himself after dissolving into sludge. Forne had prepared this contingency from the moment Lixue was exposed.
[If possible, I'd prefer you didn't resist. It'll only make things painful.]
Lixue leapt down from the platform, landing beside Maki and Chika, the climbing axe in his grip.
Maki responded by drawing her pistol and emptying the magazine into him in under three seconds - a perfect example of American quick-draw technique. Before the smoke had cleared, she'd already reloaded in 0.9 seconds, the fresh magazine clicking home as she took aim at Lixue's fallen form.