In less than half a night, Shinomiya Kaguya had effectively taken control of Japan's largest financial conglomerate.
To be honest, Takakai didn't feel much about it. After all, Kaguya had been the one driving the whole operation. His role had been limited to providing transportation, spectating the action, and helping locate a certain no-name player's stray marble during the fight. Beyond that, he'd mostly been an observer.
In contrast, Maki and Chika—who hadn't been present—had been extremely nervous. Maki kept pestering Takakai for updates through their mental link, while Chika had him put his phone on speaker so she could listen in the entire time.
But now, it was over.
A bolder, more capable person might have tried to retaliate against Kaguya afterward, but Shinomiya Oko lacked the spine for it. Having surrendered, he would never act against her again.
"Takakai-kun, thank you. Without you, I might not have had the courage to go this far."
After everything was settled, Kaguya bowed deeply to him outside Un'yo's ruined mansion, her voice sincere.
"Nah, I barely did anything. This was your choice. Keep it up."
Takakai scratched his head. He genuinely didn't feel he'd done anything worthy of thanks. After exchanging brief farewells, he headed home.
The night streets were bustling—exhausted salarymen with briefcases, groups of laughing students, elderly folks out for leisurely strolls. A perfectly ordinary scene.
But in Takakai's eyes, it wasn't quite so ordinary.
He could see them.
The faint, distorted shadows. The grotesque, inhuman things lurking in alleyways, floating midair, unnoticed by anyone.
Neither Kaguya, Maki, nor Chika could perceive them. Even when passing through these phantoms, they felt nothing.
Like reflections of a world that didn't exist, visible only to him.
Will they stay like this forever?
Or will they one day solidify—becoming tangible, interactive horrors that everyone can see?
Takakai had no answer.
So he stopped thinking about it.
With the crisis resolved, both Chika and Maki had quieted down. Clearly, they'd been deeply concerned about Kaguya's situation. Now that it was over, they probably needed time to process everything.
As for Takakai's current thoughts...
"She really didn't come, huh? Well, her family would be hard to deal with..."
Opening his apartment door, Takakai confirmed Fujiwara Chika's absence and sighed.
He'd known it was unlikely she'd stay over two nights in a row, but the confirmation still left him feeling hollow.
Standing in the hallway, he closed his eyes—remembering the feeling of carrying her in his arms.
Entering the bedroom, he saw the neatly made bed—remembering her soft moans from the night before.
Passing the bathroom, his gaze lingered on the door—remembering their shared shower that morning.
Is this what they call 'acquiring a taste'?
The more he reminisced, the stronger his cravings grew.
I really want to do it with Chika again.
Maybe I can find some alone time with her tomorrow.
But daytime was reserved for Maki, as agreed. Sneaking off with Chika would be... problematic.
Tch. I've really become a textbook scumbag, haven't I?
Then again, after groping Maki so much this past month, if I proposed taking things further, she probably wouldn't knee me in the groin and run away... right?
His mind began conjuring increasingly graphic scenarios.
But fantasies alone couldn't satisfy him anymore—not after experiencing the real thing. If anything, they only intensified his urges.
After killing time with video games to no avail, Takakai gave up and headed out for late-night skewers, hoping food would distract him.
"Hm?"
Just outside his apartment, he noticed a black-haired girl saying goodbye to her friend.
Yotsuya Miko.
The protagonist of Mieruko-Chan—a manga about a girl who suddenly gains supernatural vision, allowing her to see terrifying spirits everywhere, turning her life into a constant nightmare.
In this world, she happened to be Takakai's neighbor, though they'd barely interacted. To her, he was probably just that weird shut-next-door.
But given her original story, Takakai had kept an eye on her—especially after noticing the spectral entities haunting the streets at night.
...Dark circles under her eyes?
Though she was chatting cheerfully with her friend, closer inspection revealed exhaustion—like she hadn't slept properly in ages.
Can she 'see' them now?
Takakai didn't remember much about The Girl Who Sees It All, just that it involved cat abuse and some creepy shrine maiden stalking Miko. But he did recall that after gaining her ability, Miko barely slept, her dark circles worsening from constant terror.
The shadowy entities currently couldn't interact with the physical world. But if Miko could see them, could they interact with her? Or would they remain intangible, like when Takakai tried touching them?
Curious, he changed course and approached her.
Meanwhile, Miko waved off her friend and turned toward home—
—her gaze briefly flickering to the two-meter-tall black shadow beside her before snapping forward.
It's fine. It's fine...
She repeated mentally.
They're scary, but they're just illusions. If I ignore them, nothing will happen.
Even if they appear in my room... my bathroom... under my covers... as long as I pretend not to see them, I'll be okay. They can't hurt me. They're just phantoms.
Then she noticed approaching footsteps.
Looking up, she saw a tall man studying her with interest.
"Hello. I'm your neighbor, Takakai."
His tone was casual.
"Ah, hello. I'm Yotsuya Miko. Um... can I help you?"
She blinked, standing at her doorstep. It took her a moment to place him—the recluse next door who never socialized.
What does he want?
"Just a small question. Miss Yotsuya, have you been... seeing strange things lately?"
His smile was mild.
Her expression fractured instantly.
So she CAN see them.
She couldn't a month ago. What changed?
"Y-You... Mr. Takakai, do you know something?!"
Her golden eyes locked onto his with desperate hope.
"Not much, honestly. As far as I can tell, they're just illusions—no interaction with our world. Beyond that, I'm as clueless as you."
He shook his head, unwilling to give false reassurance.
"But if you can see them, your best bet is to keep pretending you don't."
"I suspect that while they're harmless now, that might not last."
"So until then, hide yourself, Miss Yotsuya. Don't let them notice you."
With that, he walked away, leaving Miko staring after him.
He'd seen the helpless despair in her eyes.
But the truth was, he couldn't help her. Even he couldn't make the entities disappear—relics included.
Perhaps only when they fully "arrived" in this world would there be a way to banish them.
Is the [Sacrificial Game] connected to them somehow?
On a lighter note...
Being cryptic was kinda fun. Even if I was just stating facts.
Oh right, Chika mentioned a weekend hot spring trip. Maybe there'll be some... mixed bathing opportunities?
Distracted by such thoughts, Takakai soon reached a late-night eatery and stepped inside.
He didn't see Miko still standing at her doorstep long after he left, finally sighing and muttering to herself:
"'Hide yourself. Don't let them notice you'... Isn't that... exactly what I've been doing?"
For a second, she'd thought that strange man might have answers.
But no. Nothing would change.
With another sigh, she unlocked her door and stepped inside—
—only to freeze immediately.
Looming in the hallway was something with half its skull caved in, dangling from the ceiling, its remaining eye rolling wildly as it wailed incoherently.
"..."
For several seconds, Miko stood perfectly still, face blank.
Then, mechanically, she closed the door, removed her shoes, and carefully stepped around the entity.
This is... the worst.
Every day is hell.
When will my life go back to normal?! I don't want this!
The thing on the ceiling continued shrieking.
And the girl who saw it all trudged onward, enduring another joyless, terror-filled night.