A Sudden Reunion
"Takakai-san? Takakai-san, what's wrong?"
Yotsuya Miko hurried forward in a panic, helping the severely injured Takakai to his feet.
"Yotsuya...san?"
Takakai stared intently at the girl, studying her for a long moment before finally confirming—she was undoubtedly human.
What's going on? Did the [Alice] possessing her just leave?
Is it because Miko never completed [Alice's Game], so it couldn't take her outside the school building? Did it abandon her for that reason?
But even then, [Alice] didn't need to let her live.
Unless… it can repossess her anytime now. Is this a trap?
"Do you remember how you got into the elevator?"
Takakai kept his tone neutral as he watched her reaction.
"Huh? Elevator? Wh-when did I— Weren't we just behind that glass wall? Where are Shigeno-san and the others?"
Miko's confusion seemed genuine, as if she'd just woken from a dream.
Takakai didn't answer immediately, scrutinizing her further.
According to the blessing's perception, this was Miko—100% human, no trace of [Alice]'s corruption.
But he doubted it would last.
Whatever had drawn the [Alice] entities to that stuffed animal, it wouldn't occupy them forever. Minutes, at most.
They had to move.
The school's underground area. That's the priority now.
Divided Attention
Just then, Takakai realized his control over the rescue team member on the 7th floor had returned.
The [Alice] it had been restraining was gone—drawn away by the toy.
So for [Alice], "friends" take absolute priority?
No time to dwell on it.
He immediately ordered the rescuer to investigate the principal's office.
Next, he summoned the first rescuer (the one converted from Old Guo), directing it to map out the current floor.
Meanwhile, he pulled Miko back into the elevator.
The panel showed only floors 1-7—no basement access. But when he swiped the access card, the doors closed, and "-1" appeared on the display.
Without this card, I'd have had to smash my way down.
He glanced at Miko, then fabricated an explanation:
"You got possessed earlier and ran off. I sent Shigeno and the others back—without you, they're just dead weight. If you feel anything strange, tell me immediately. No dismissing it as 'just your imagination.' Understood?"
The truth would only make her guilt-ridden and waste precious time.
"I...I was possessed?"
Miko's face paled, her body trembling as the horror of losing control sank in.
She didn't doubt him.
Takakai gave her shoulder a reassuring pat—
Just as a chilling presence flooded the elevator.
Ding-dong.
Basement Level 1.
The Underground Laboratory
The doors opened onto a concrete corridor—no tiles, no paint—its bare walls reflecting the cold overhead lights.
"Let's go."
Takakai stepped out first, Miko trailing nervously behind.
Meanwhile, his 7th-floor rescuer entered the chemistry lab.
The gruesome details hardly registered anymore.
The candles here, like elsewhere, had burned past halfway—maybe 30 minutes left.
Since the rescuer wasn't human, it didn't trigger accelerated burning. It moved swiftly, finding the hallway to the principal's office.
Through its eyes, Takakai saw a reinforced metal door—fingerprint and keypad locks, now broken. Something had torn a gap just wide enough for a petite person to squeeze through.
An [Alice]'s handiwork?
The rescuer ducked inside.
Simultaneously, Old Guo's rescuer located a floor map near the 6th-floor elevators.
A door labeled [Biology Classroom] stood nearby.
Takakai remembered Miko's warnings about the "Turtle Teacher" and anatomical model.
Previously, he'd avoided it, unsure if the intel was an [Alice] trap.
But now?
Worth a look. Worst case, Old Guo gets wrecked. No big loss.
A Chamber of Horrors
The basement's main area stretched vast and sterile.
Glass tanks lined the walls—some holding dismembered limbs, others fully intact bodies floating in preservative.
Outdated machinery mingled with sleek, almost futuristic devices.
Bloodstained operating tables.
Bizarre, unidentifiable equipment.
A tangle of wires and pipes pumping dark red and pale green fluids.
Yet no people. No ghosts.
While the upper floors teemed with horrors, this place felt hollowed out.
"What...is this place?" Miko whispered.
"Call it hell's backstage," Takakai muttered, already moving.
Juggling three perspectives was giving him mental whiplash, but with [Alice]'s return imminent, he had no choice.
The ram mask's stickiness is gone.
Probably fused to my skull permanently now. Would need decapitation to remove it.
Still have one doll left—maybe I can find a way to restore its human form here.
He picked up the pace, forcing Miko into a jog.
Why is Takakai-san in such a hurry?
Miko's confusion grew.
She still felt disoriented, but Takakai's urgency was contagious.
And then there was...this other feeling.
Why does my heart race whenever I look at him?
Her pulse had been erratic since "waking up," spiking whenever Takakai was near.
This isn't...normal. I've never felt like this before.
Did something change me?
The world seemed to darken around the edges.
Only Takakai remained clear—a beacon of safety.
Only him. Just him. Have to stay close—
Before she realized it, she'd grabbed his wrist.
"Yotsuya-san?"
Takakai turned, wary.
Miko didn't answer.
She collided into him, the strange compulsion now overwhelming.
The blessing confirmed she wasn't [Alice].
So why was she acting so—
Then Miko looked up, cheeks flushed, eyes half-lidded.
A dazed, almost dopey smile spread across her face.
She rose onto her tiptoes—
And kissed him.
Takakai: ???