"Do you… realize what you're saying?"
Kumami's smile was strained as she faced Takakai's audacious declaration.
"I do. I'm serious. I rescued you, Kumami-san, precisely to find someone who could help me. I need your assistance in tackling the dormitory. Of course, if you're unwilling, I won't force you. This is extremely dangerous."
Takakai's tone was calm, his resolve unshakable.
…Are you out of your damn mind?
Kumami, who prided herself on having seen it all, was struggling to keep her composure.
This was a Crimson Moon dungeon—one housing [Alice], a horror that defied all player conventions.
Of the four zones in [School Horror Story], only Fujika Academy and Shirasawa Elementary remained unsolved—precisely because they were this brutal.
Just surviving here is hard enough.
And this kid wants to crack the core resentment?
Even as a Crimson Moon player, she never solo-raided dungeons.
Her team would gather intel, assemble squads, and probe carefully over multiple runs before attempting a core assault.
And now?
She was half-crippled, relic-less, with a rookie (at best, a decent Crimson Moon player) and a useless high school girl.
This isn't a squad. It's a suicide pact.
"Look, kid, finding [Alice]'s doll room is impressive, but this place is next-level messed up. You don't even have a solid counter for [Alice], do you? And you still want to go for the core?"
She tried to reason with him, hoping he'd see sense.
"I know our odds are terrible. But I have to try. There's no other way."
Takakai kept one eye on [Alice]'s revival timer as he spoke.
"..."
Kumami was speechless.
She'd spelled it out, yet he wouldn't budge.
And I owe him.
But… he doesn't seem suicidal.
His tone… there's resignation there.
"Are you cursed?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Cursed?"
Takakai blinked, caught off guard.
"You're not an idiot. You wouldn't risk your life without reason. So—are you bound to this dungeon? Can't leave unless the core's broken?"
Her deduction was shockingly accurate.
Takakai played along, letting his expression turn grim.
"…You could say that. I'm stuck here. Alone, I'm screwed. So I need help."
He shrugged, sighing.
Kumami groaned, rubbing her temples.
"Of course. Just my luck."
With a dramatic sigh, she tossed aside the curtain—somehow now wearing casual clothes—lit a cigarette, and stared down the hallway.
"Let's go."
Her voice was steady, resigned.
"I never scouted the dormitory, but I know the basics. It's worse than the school building. Once inside, we'll be separated, assigned a room, and given a riddle. Solve it alone—never share it. More rules will appear later. Remember: the rules bind us, not [Alice]. This game's rigged. Survival first."
Her demeanor was all business now.
Even knowing this might kill her, she'd made her choice.
He saved me. I owe him.
If I wanted to play it safe, I'd have stuck to Twilight/Midnight dungeons.
What's the point of power if you don't use it?
"Thank you."
Takakai's relief was palpable.
"Don't thank me yet. If things go south, I can't promise to save you. I'm not at full strength, and—seriously, why bring the girl? She's dead weight."
Kumami side-eyed Miko, who flinched, hiding behind Takakai.
"She's not a player, but she has innate perception. She sees things we can't. We need her."
Takakai was firm.
(Leaving her alone risks [Alice] possession—and that's game over.)
"I-I'll try not to hold you back…"
Miko's voice was small, her grip on Takakai's sleeve tightening.
This puzzled Takakai.
This is the third loop. She hasn't seen much yet.
Why is she so attached?
His blessing confirmed she was human, unpossessed.
Yet…
Miko herself didn't understand her instinctive trust in Takakai—or the guilt gnawing at her.
It was as if…
She'd already endured horrors with him.
As if she'd hurt him, unwillingly, repeatedly.
These phantom memories—carryovers from previous loops—had subconsciously bonded her to him.
That's why, even after seeing him hack off a girl's arm, she hadn't feared him.
Instead, she'd rationalized it: He must have a reason.
"Fine. You're the boss. Just don't ask for impossible favors."
Kumami gave up, striding toward the dormitory entrance.
*[Alice] would recover soon.
Takakai and Miko followed, the latter clinging to him.
CREAK—
The door swung open, darkness swallowing them.
Then—it shut silently, leaving only a blonde girl's reflection in the glass, her lips curving faintly.
[New friends are coming to play with Alice~]
Her whisper echoed into the void.