Like something out of an urban legend from the neon-lit city, that thing seemed to have locked onto the trio led by Takakai, persistently following behind them. The moment they turned around, it would rush toward them at terrifying speed—only to freeze the instant any one of them looked back, reverting to a motionless mannequin.
Takakai had tried smashing it to pieces with a mop twice. It wasn't difficult—one swing, and it shattered into fragments scattered across the floor. But the moment they looked away, it would swiftly reassemble itself and resume its pursuit.
Maybe we could try dismantling it and scattering the pieces in different places?
Though he had some bold ideas, after some consideration, Takakai decided against reckless actions. While the thing didn't seem particularly threatening, given its connection to other anomalies, breaking it beyond repair might trigger something far worse. It was better to maintain the current, relatively controlled situation.
Besides, Takakai could sense that this thing's eerie nature wasn't limited to just stalking the living. If it got too close, something bad would happen. Even if they destroyed it, they absolutely could not approach it.
And right now, the mannequin wasn't the only thing demanding their attention.
"Earlier, in that restroom… the person who went inside was wearing our school's uniform, but I couldn't tell if it was someone I knew."
Miko had also seen the thing that flashed past the restroom entrance and immediately whispered her observations to Takakai.
Had she actually seen it clearly?
Takakai had only caught a glimpse of something appearing and vanishing. Yet, Miko beside him had not only discerned its form but even noted details like the long, wavy black hair reaching down to its waist. How had she managed to perceive so much?
No—Miko's eyes only focus on the unnatural. She only sees those things with such clarity.
"Pick up the pace. Keep quiet, and stay away from that restroom."
Takakai spoke in a low voice as he hugged the corridor wall, swiftly moving past the area near the restroom.
Miko followed cautiously, glancing back periodically to ensure the mannequin didn't get too close.
As for the girl named Kawako Kyōko, she trembled uncontrollably, her limbs refusing to cooperate. She could barely keep up, paling every time she heard the mannequin's footsteps behind her. Her mental state was clearly deteriorating.
At the end of this hallway, after turning the corner, they would pass by Classrooms 4, 3, and 2 of the second-year wing, then reach a lobby. The records room and another restroom entrance were at the far end—where they might find something useful.
But what awaited them in those three classrooms?
Taking turns to glance back, the trio slowly reached the hallway's bend.
The pitch-black corridor was littered with shattered tiles and peeling plaster. Discarded snack wrappers, faded with age, dotted the floor. Strange graffiti covered the walls.
Takakai's gaze swept over the scribbles, noting their recurring theme: vicious monsters depicted alongside a little girl. In some, the monsters tore her apart; in others, they devoured her or locked her in cages—various cages, clutched in grotesque hands. Strangely, in every drawing, the girl's face bore a smile, as if everything the monsters did to her brought her joy.
Past the corner, dim light seeped into the darkened hallway.
The glow came from a classroom window—Class 2-004. Inside, candles burned on every desk, their flickering flames casting an eerie illumination into the corridor.
The classroom itself was dilapidated, long abandoned.
Yet the desks remained perfectly arranged, each bearing a quietly burning candle.
The seats were empty.
Not a single person occupied them.
It looked like a resource room—a place for players to collect candles and extend their survival time.
But Takakai had no intention of entering.
The way Miko deliberately avoided looking through the window told him everything.
"Where?"
He leaned in, whispering into Miko's ear.
"…They're all below the windows. Watching us."
Miko couldn't bring herself to meet their gaze again, keeping her eyes averted as she spoke.
They were students—mutilated, horrifying, barely human.
Their bodies were shattered, as if hacked into bloody chunks, yet still held together. They wore intact school uniforms as they pressed against the glass, pounding on the windows, reaching out as if begging for help.
Begging for help…?
Miko realized Takakai and Kyōko couldn't see or hear them. Her heartbeat quickened, and she kept her head down as they pressed forward.
Why do I have to see these things?
Why do I have to go through this?
It was terrifying—so terrifying that just a glance made her legs weak, made her feel like she'd reached the limit of fear.
A silent scream echoed in the girl's heart.
She turned again, checking the mannequin behind them. It had crept closer without her noticing. She hurried forward, sticking close to Takakai before she could steady herself.
Come to think of it… this Takakai-san has been calm this whole time.
Miko stole a glance at him—the man whose expression never wavered, who remained composed as he carefully advanced.
Unlike her, who was barely holding it together, he was genuinely unshaken. He analyzed their situation with cold logic and took decisive action.
If I were alone in this nightmare… I'd have been killed long before escaping the classroom.
By the time she finished the thought, they had already passed Class 2-004 and reached Class 2-003.
Here, the curtains were drawn. The room's interior was hidden.
But Miko could hear whispers—like many voices murmuring inside.
What are they saying?
[Three people are coming from outside.]
[No, two. It's two.]
[Isn't it four?]
[I want that girl. I want her to play with me.]
[Let's hide her pencil then.]
[Where should we hide it?]
[In the restroom. We'll tell her after she can't find it.]
[Then we'll splash water on her. Dump the restroom bucket on her.]
[Then she'll be our friend.]
[Friend, friend, friend… hehehe~]
She couldn't tell who—or what—was speaking.
Behind the curtains, multiple figures seemed to be peering at them.
No. Those aren't people. They're something mimicking humans.
Is it targeting me?
Wait—why did they say there were "two" of us?
Miko's gaze flicked toward Takakai, but she dismissed her suspicion immediately. She didn't believe there was anything wrong with him. If Takakai were in mortal danger, she'd likely die first—that was just the difference in their abilities.
Then… it can't be me either.
Her thoughts shifted to Kawako Kyōko, trailing at the back of their trio.
When Miko looked at her, the girl stopped, shrinking back as she glanced behind them at the distant mannequin.
Every time Miko checked, Kyōko would pause, look back, then resume walking only after Miko moved forward.
Now, Miko froze.
Still staring at Kyōko and the mannequin, she took a step backward—bumping into Takakai.
"Huh? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kyōko, noticing Miko's odd behavior, spoke up.
She stood in place.
The mannequin, too, had stopped moving.
Under Miko's unwavering gaze, both figures remained frozen in the hallway.
"…"
Takakai only needed one glance to understand. He placed a hand on Miko's shoulder, guiding her forward as they advanced—one watching the front, the other the back—deeper into the dark corridor.
"W-Wait! Why are you walking so fast? I—I—"
Kyōko's voice trembled with panic.
But her feet stayed rooted to the spot.
She seemed to realize something. Slowly, she looked down.
In the candlelight, she now had two shadows.
"Is she… still human?"
Miko, now far ahead, hesitated before asking Takakai in a hushed voice.
"…For now. But not for much longer."
Takakai glanced back at Kyōko before shaking his head.
The mannequin's curse had locked onto her—likely because she was the last in line. While it could only advance when unseen, its real effect was subtler: the last person in the group would gradually transform into another mannequin. The process was insidious. If not for Miko's sharp observation, Takakai might not have noticed until Kyōko's corruption became undeniable.
"How did you figure it out? What did you see?"
He no longer paid attention to Kyōko—now sobbing softly, already doomed—and instead focused on Miko.
Like the players in Shirakawa Apartments who heard the knocking, Kyōko's fate was sealed. Takakai had no way to reverse it. Their only choice was to leave her behind.
"I—"
Miko nodded slightly, trying to figure out how to explain what she'd heard.
Then, after passing Class 2-003, they arrived at Class 2-002.
Inside this candlelit classroom—where each desk held a severed student's head (split vertically) and a dismembered hand—a flashlight beam suddenly pierced the darkness, shining directly at them.
A woman stood there.
At least, her body was a woman's.
From the neck up, a large searchlight had been nailed into her torn flesh, replacing her head.
And now, that light was fixed on Takakai and Miko.
A bone-chilling dread instantly gripped Takakai.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Miko and sprinted.
The window shattered behind them.
The woman—her arms severed, only her legs functional—burst into the hallway. A wet, rasping [Hssss— Hssss—] escaped her throat as she gave chase.
As they ran, Miko's gaze finally broke away from Kyōko.
The crying girl's body stiffened.
She lifted her head.
Her face was now plastic.
Her clothes tore away, half her body turning into smooth mannequin limbs while the other half's flesh sloughed off, revealing plastic muscles and organs.
Now fully transformed, Kyōko and the original mannequin sprinted after them, their plastic limbs moving with unnatural speed.
A hideous screeching noise filled the hallway.
Ahead, Takakai saw the lobby—and the headless students standing within it, each holding a candle, a white chrysanthemum protruding from their necks.
The moment his eyes fell upon them, their candles began to burn at an accelerated rate.