No need to unleash Hilda's Blessing. The sheer intimidation of the ram's head mask alone was enough to silence every girl in the classroom.
Under the flickering light of the two candles placed on the lectern for illumination, Takakai could see the students' faces pale from the oppressive aura of the supernatural.
Nervousness. Fear. Panic. Confusion…
All these emotions were vividly written across their expressions.
In the first loop, these girls had died one after another without understanding a thing—useless beyond causing trouble.
But this time, Takakai had a plan. A crude, perhaps inhumane one, but one that might at least let some of them survive while minimizing headaches for him.
"Alright, everyone, calm down. Listen to the broadcast first. Even if it's from a dumbass, we've gotta humor her."
Tapping the desk lightly, Takakai addressed the students.
Almost immediately, the broadcast crackled to life.
[Alice's game is about to begin…]
The same voice, the same words as the first loop. It sounded prerecorded—or was this just how ayakashi operated?
The thought flitted through Takakai's mind before he turned his attention back to the bewildered girls.
"As for this 'game,' whether you participate is up to you. I won't be joining. Instead, I need you all for something else."
"But judging by your faces, I'm guessing you've got a lot to say. So, speak up. Any complaints? Any grievances? Don't worry, I won't kill you on the spot. Let's see… for every complaint, I'll just chop off a finger or toe. Sound fair?"
His tone was casual, almost bored, as he spread his hands toward the 24 girls in the room.
Using the rescue team badge's power, he suppressed the ram mask's eerie aura slightly.
The students' expressions eased marginally.
Right on cue.
"You bastard—!"
Just as expected, the blonde girl—the one who had stomped on the candle in the first loop—sprang up, grabbed her chair, and hurled it at Takakai.
Of course, it's her. There's a certain purity to her stupidity, really.
Watching her through the mask's hollow eyes, Takakai stepped forward, caught the chair effortlessly, set it down, then seized the girl's wrist as she lunged at him.
With a single motion, he pinned her to the lectern and brought the cleaver down.
THUD.
Her hand hit the floor.
Blood sprayed across the faces of the front-row students.
"Silence."
A single command, and every scream died in their throats.
Even the blonde girl, now clutching her severed wrist, couldn't make a sound. Her face turned red with the effort, but no noise escaped—as if something had physically clamped her vocal cords shut.
Takakai's gaze swept over the class.
Terror. Helplessness. Forced submission.
So [Teacher's Orders] function similarly to [Honor Student's Commands]—no, maybe even higher priority.
I wonder if I could make them do the impossible. Fly. Punch with ten tons of force. Something like that.
"Get back to your seat. Stop shaking. The bleeding's stopped."
He kicked the girl, sending her sprawling. Then, twirling the cleaver lazily, he surveyed the room.
The blonde staggered to her feet, her movements puppet-like, as if invisible hands were dragging her back to her desk.
True to his words, her wound had stopped bleeding the moment he'd said so—though the pain clearly remained. Her face was ghostly white, lips trembling.
Every pair of eyes locked onto him with pure dread.
Even Miko was shivering, unable to meet his gaze.
Can't blame them. I've fully embraced the villain role this time.
I don't enjoy this, but it's the fastest way to ensure compliance. A severed hand is nothing—any player can heal it easily after escaping. Maybe this'll teach the idiot not to stomp on candles.
Though I did scare Miko. That's… regrettable.
Seeing her fearful, confused expression, Takakai offered a silent apology before clapping his hands.
"Enough dawdling. I may act tough, but I'm just a lackey here. You're free to leave this classroom—but I can't guarantee how 'kind' others outside will be. Well? Anyone want to go?"
With a chuckle, he strode to the door, wrenching the broken lock open with inhuman strength, then gestured into the pitch-black hallway beyond.
Not a single student moved.
After witnessing him conjure a cleaver from nowhere and casually amputate a hand, no one dared test him.
"Aw, so tense! Don't be. Honestly, you've all been given a chance to transcend ordinary humans. You saw it, right? That cleaver? Real supernatural power."
Adopting a theatrically eerie tone, Takakai made the cleaver vanish and reappear twice from his watch before stopping in front of the blonde.
"Sorry about earlier. I lost my temper. Tell you what—how about I chop off my hand as an apology? Want it?"
SWISH.
Casual as slicing bread, he lopped off his own hand.
Blood arced through the air.
Screams erupted—this time, he didn't suppress them.
Goddamn, that hurts.
Even after multiple deaths, losing a limb was agony. Beneath the mask, his face contorted, though he forced himself to stand perfectly still.
But the pain was fleeting.
The rescue team badge's power activated. Bone regrew from the stump, followed by muscle and skin.
The screams tapered off into stunned silence.
If conjuring a cleaver and dismembering someone could be dismissed as a deranged magician's act, regrowing a hand in seconds shattered all delusions.
In under ten seconds, Takakai's hand was fully restored.
He picked up the severed one and placed it on the blonde's desk, leaning in to whisper:
"Satisfied with my apology?"
His faux gentleness made the girl tremble like a leaf.
To her, he was no longer human—just a monster wearing skin.
"Wh-what are you? What do you want?! My—my dad knows politicians; he can pay you—"
A sobbing girl stammered out the words before Takakai turned.
"Silence."
Instantly, her voice died. She clutched her throat in horror.
"Now. Everyone, stay seated. Don't move."
Like marionettes with cut strings, the students froze in place.
Closing the door, Takakai returned to the lectern, scanning the sea of terrified faces.
For a moment, he felt… pleasure.
As if the cruelty had tapped into something dark inside him, urging him to go further—
No.
I'm doing this to keep them in line. To prevent idiots from wandering off and dying pointlessly. I don't enjoy tormenting the weak.
He shrugged off the mask's mental influence effortlessly.
"Yotsuya Miko. Step forward. Now."
"Shigeno Rika—you're the class rep, right? Pick someone you trust. Someone who won't cause trouble."
"Ogawa Kyōko. You seem calm. Here's your chance—join us."
Under the mask's power, resistance was impossible. Soon, Miko, Kyōko (the girl who'd died horribly in the first loop), and Rika—who'd hesitantly selected a frail-looking girl named Sanada Ai—stood trembling beside him.
"You… are you Takakai-san?"
Miko's voice was barely audible. She seemed to sense something from the mask that others couldn't—her legs pressed tightly together in fear.
"Do you want me to be?"
His flat retort made her flinch.
Meanwhile, Rika had agonized over her choice, with every girl silently pleading not to be picked. But under Takakai's stare, she'd settled on Sanada.
Looking at the four girls—some tearful, some on the verge—Takakai almost laughed.
I really do feel like a villain now.
Without ceremony, he led them out of the classroom.
"The rest of you, stay put. If the lights come on, study quietly. Don't leave. Of course, if you want to test your luck, be my guest."
After shutting the door, he moved to adjacent classrooms, issuing a single order to the ayakashi students inside:
[No one enters Class 1-5. This is a teacher's order. If another teacher objects, send them to me. You answer to NO ONE but me.]
Only then did he proceed down the hall with his four hostages.
Now I've got three guinea pigs to test rules if we encounter Alice or other ayakashi. 'Guinea pigs' sounds harsh… but I'll protect them if possible.
His goal was simple:
Terrify the class to prevent first-loop stupidity.Ensure any deaths meant something—fed him intel.Identify useful individuals.
Miko was non-negotiable. Kyōko and Rika had shown competence in the first loop. Sanada was a wild card.
As for the rest? Backup. If they obeyed, he'd help where he could. If they bolted? Enjoy your Darwin Award.
CLICK.
The watch's hand jerked forward—from 2 to 5, consuming three rewinds.
A coordinate seared into his mind: 7th floor.
Three rewinds gone. This better be worth it.
"In there, I had to play the villain. Out here, I'd prefer cooperation. But one misstep here means death—or worse. Miko, explain the 'dungeon' to them if they ask."
With that, he motioned the girls forward, heading for the fifth-floor lobby.
"You… really are Takakai-san, right?"
Miko still sounded scared, but his normal tone seemed to reassure her slightly.
"Yeah. Now, move."
Lighting a candle (stolen from a certain ayakashi student), Takakai strode ahead.
Miko followed without hesitation. After a pause, Rika nudged Kyōko and Sanada after her.
"Yotsuya-san… you know that man?" Rika whispered.
"...Yes. He's… trustworthy. Even if he seems terrifying, he's not lying. Stay close. Do not separate from him."
Miko's explanation was shaky, but firm.
She understood why Takakai had acted as he did—it was the most efficient way to control the class.
But the brutality…
Can we really survive this?
The doubt gnawed at her as she quickened her steps, the others instinctively closing ranks behind Takakai.
Even back in the classroom, the remaining twenty girls didn't dare move.
The loudest skeptics from the first loop? Now too petrified to even whisper.
Irony. By playing the monster, I've earned their 'trust' more than honesty ever did.
Not that Takakai cared.
His mind was already fixed on three objectives:
Locate the watch's coordinates—the key to unraveling the dungeon's truth.Restore the puppet players—build a real ally force.Win [Alice's Game] while ensuring [No Friendship with Alice]—escape the school alive.
This loop, I'm clearing at least one.
As he stepped into the lobby, the mannequin stood waiting.