Under the dimming twilight, two figures walked side by side along the bustling streets.
Takakai held Maki's hand with practiced ease, his expression calm as they strolled. Maki, her cheeks faintly pink, followed closely beside him. They moved in comfortable silence—until Takakai paused, and Maki, lost in thought, took an extra step before hastily stopping as well.
"What's on your mind? You're so jumpy."
Takakai chuckled at her flustered reaction.
"N-Nothing... I was just thinking about that [Alice's Game] you mentioned earlier."
At first, she instinctively denied it, but after a moment's hesitation, she admitted in a small voice.
"Oh, that? I only brought it up casually. You actually looked into it?"
Takakai was surprised. After suspecting his watch might drag him into the Abyss-class dungeon, he'd researched [School Mystery Tales] extensively—particularly the well-documented rules of Fujizakura Middle School.
Naturally, the girls had noticed his preoccupation. When he shared his concerns, Kaguya, Maki, and Chika had all begun investigating the dungeon alongside him—even branching out to other Abyss-class dungeons as contingencies.
Even knowing I might get thrown into an Abyss-class dungeon, none of them backed away. They trust me enough to believe I can clear even something that deadly...
The thought was both touching and daunting.
"So, any insights? We can talk while we walk."
Still holding her hand, Takakai resumed their stroll.
"A few, actually. How much of the Fujizakura intel have you reviewed?"
The topic eased Maki's tension, her voice growing steadier.
"Both rule sets—[Alice's Grand Adventure] for the school building and [Alice's Puzzle Mini-Game] for the dorms—plus the twelve opening prompts recorded by players."
Takakai nodded, recalling the unsettling details.
Fujizakura Middle School housed four [Alice's Games] across its school building, dormitories, athletic field, and swimming pool. Currently, only the first two areas' rules were accessible. The latter two were semi-locked—players could enter but found no rules, and previously recorded guidelines had mysteriously vanished.
The prevailing theory was that the relics governing those areas had been removed, sealing their games. But this was contentious—normally, only core relics could trigger zone closures.
Another hypothesis suggested the games had crowned "winners," rendering further play unnecessary. If the remaining games concluded, Fujizakura might undergo further changes.
This theory was widely dismissed—for an unspoken reason Takakai could guess:
Winners of [Alice's Game] don't survive.
Those who followed the rules to victory invariably died. The forum avoided stating this outright, but the implication was clear to anyone who'd studied the rules.
"Ultimately, these rules are fundamentally different from Shirakawa Apartments or Red Nut Asylum's."
"Mr. Lin's rules, though outdated, were written to protect survivors."
"Red Nut's were split—research base regulations for order, Mr. Wilbur's notes to avert tragedy."
"Their common thread? The authors were human, aiming to preserve or escape. We could trust them."
"But these 'games'? They reek of malice. Following them blindly would be suicide."
As Takakai reflected, Maki articulated the same conclusion.
The critical difference in Fujizakura was the rule-makers' alignment—a lethal distinction for players.
"Given that, where do you think the survival path lies? Players have escaped Fujizakura, so there must be one."
Takakai posed the question.
"The key... is likely the [Bad Children] mentioned in the rules."
Maki deliberated before answering.
"Winning the games to become 'Alice's friends' seems fatal. Conversely, avoiding that status—remaining 'bad'—might be the way out. Players who earn the [Bad Child] label could survive."
"That said, threats like the [Big Bad Wolf] would still exist. The label just enables survival—it doesn't guarantee safety."
"As for how to get it... The school rules imply extinguishing candles—yours or others'. The dorm rules are simpler: just stay awake after lights-out."
She spoke with focused intensity.
Takakai listened intently, nodding along while mentally reviewing the second rule set:
[Alice's Puzzle Mini-Game!]
[Welcome to Alice's Dormitory! This is where Alice rests and plays with friends!]
[Alice loves making friends! She wants everyone to be her best friends, so let's play a game! Complete it, and we'll all be friends forever!]
[The goal is simple: Alice will give you a riddle. Find the corresponding item in the dorm and place it correctly. Easy, right? Let's play!]
[But games need rules! Good children follow rules, so memorize these!]
Each riddle is unique. Never share yours or its answer—or the Big Bad Wolf will eat you!
Cleanliness is vital! Beds must be made, floors spotless—or the Broom Teacher will correct you!
After dark, good children sleep. No noise or wandering—the Owl Auntie checks!
The dorm has no basement. If you see stairs down, ignore them. Bad children's pranks!
Grandpa Ox patrols the stairs. Greet him with "You work hard!"
The rooftop is forbidden. Cat Uncle hates trespassers—but try bribing him with fish!
No one stays in the dorms by day. Giraffe Inspector checks—hide if caught!
Conserve water! Faucet Brother taught us this virtue. He might test you...
Pencil Brother naps in hallways. Be quiet—he studies hard!
Restroom lights are broken. Always ask "Anyone there? Boys or girls?" before entering!
Lights on after morning bells, off after evening bells. Good children respect others' sleep!
Solve Alice's riddle properly to leave. No early exits!
No cheating! Each solves their own riddle. Helping or being helped invites punishment! Alice hates cheaters!
[That's all! Have fun playing with Alice!]
[Complete the game, and we'll be best friends!]
Honestly, Takakai felt the biggest difference wasn't just intent—it was tone.
Neither Lin Xusheng, Wilbur, nor the research staff would've written rules in this sickeningly saccharine, mock-playful style laced with malice.
"Regardless, Fujizakura remains extremely dangerous for us now. If we're preparing for it, we should strengthen our capabilities—maybe trade for more suitable relics?"
Maki concluded with practical suggestions.
Takakai nodded solemnly—then abruptly realized:
Wait. Aren't we on a date? Shouldn't we be flirting? How did we end up discussing survival strategies?!
"What's wrong? You look upset."
Maki tilted her head, noticing his expression.
"...Nothing. Just realizing how serious you are."
Serious as an overtime-obsessed corporate drone. Though given our monthly life-or-death struggles, I can't exactly judge.
"Hey, that sounds like sarcasm! I was helping you analyze—"
Unaware of his internal monologue, Maki frowned.
"Not sarcasm. Just an observation. Let's keep walking—no more dungeon talk. Tonight's about us."
Squeezing her hand, he pulled her forward.
"Wha—H-Hey! Ugh... fine..."
Flustered anew, Maki stumbled over her words before surrendering with a blush, letting him lead her onward.
Their elongated shadows merged under the setting sun's glow—two figures gradually becoming one.