"Old Man Ox"—or more accurately, a humanoid specter wearing a rotting, stinking bull-head mask and tattered teacher's attire—had appeared without warning.
One moment, the hallway was empty. The next, the thing had materialized right in front of them.
Takakai, now well-versed in such surprises, didn't hesitate.
"Old Man Ox, you've worked hard~"
With a single slash, he lopped off the specter's head, then swiftly dismembered it into twitching chunks of flesh.
Behind him, (Miko) paled at the sight of the still-writhing remains.
Takakai, after confirming the corpse held no useful items, scraped out the rotting flesh from the bull mask and tied it to his waist.
"Why... are you bringing that?"
Yuuko shuddered, unable to comprehend why he'd carry such a grotesque trophy.
"Alice voided my [Teacher] authority. But a dismembered Teacher—one stripped of its supernatural potency—might still be useful for bluffing."
With his cleaver in one hand and the bull mask dangling at his hip, Takakai led Miko toward the first floor.
Honestly, I could cosplay a certain axe-wielding dad like this. Swap the cleaver for a hatchet, the bull head for a human one... Maybe some platform boots?
Despite the lingering mysteries, the powerful Relic in his grip and kumami's assistance had eased his tension. His mind wandered—a habit to stay sharp, not a lapse in vigilance.
The dormitory's first floor wasn't for living—it was a bathing complex, much like the second-floor cafeteria and first-floor assembly hall in the main building.
According to the floor map beside the stairs, the area was divided into:
High-Class Baths (Teachers & Honor Students)
Mid-Class Baths (Honor & Good Students)
Low-Class Baths (Average & Delinquents)
Livestock Wash Pool ("Bad Students" only)
The High-Class area had change rooms and door access. Mid/Low-Class were open-entry. The Livestock Pool? No partitions—fully exposed to passersby.
A shower rules poster on the wall spelled out the cruelty:
[Bathing Area Regulations]
High-Class: Teachers & Honor Students only.
Mid-Class: Honor/Good Students only.
Low-Class: Average/Delinquents only.
"Bad Students"must use the Livestock Pool.
All students must bathe daily—or face penalty.
Entering the wrong area = penalty (Higher-rankers exempt).
No water spills outside bathing zones—penalty.
No loitering—enter only when bathing.
The last rule set off alarms in Takakai's mind.
"No loitering" is too vague. What if it counts merely being here as "loitering"? Could penalties stack per second?
He kept his guard up. For now, the dorm was still in "abandoned" mode—but if it lit up like the main building did, they'd need to move fast.
"Takakai-san, this rule..."
Yuuko frowned at the poster, unease creeping into her voice.
"Don't worry. I've got it."
Takakai strode to the High-Class Bath's entrance—the only locked door.
With a crunch, he ripped the door off its hinges and hoisted it onto his shoulder.
Behind it? Not a bathhouse—but a warped hallway, identical to the [-1F] they'd stumbled into earlier.
Wrong paths lead to that place. This dorm's more treacherous than the main building.
Sensing the malice seeping from the broken wall, Takakai grabbed miko and bolted for the alternate staircase.
The corridor was dark, lit only by candlelight.
Miko followed closely, unfazed even as Takakai lumbered along with a door on his back.
Then—his eyes locked onto something.
A bullet hole.
Small caliber—likely a handgun.
The angle suggested the shooter had fired down this very hallway...
Chasing someone?
Ding-dong—
A chime echoed.
Lights blazed to life.
Rows of twisted students materialized, their hollow eyes snapping toward Takakai and Miko—
Then immediately dropping their gazes to the bull mask at his waist.
Some bowed deeply. Others prostrated themselves.
Not a single specter dared look up.
"Seems my bluff works. Good. Ah—no need to rise, stay down. Miko, let's go. Can't be late for our mandatory bath."
He picked up the pace.
Yuuko, however, felt a sting of something unplaceable.
Earlier... he called me "Miko". Now it's back to "Miko-san"...
She couldn't pinpoint why that bothered her, so she simply nodded and hurried after him.
They reached the Livestock Wash Pool—a bare, open basin.
Takakai smashed the light switch, dropped the door, and turned to moko with dead seriousness.
"Alright, let's make this quick. We'll 'bathe' and leave."
With that, he peeled off his T-shirt, revealing a toned, muscular torso.
Yotsuya Miko: ???