The rooftop.
A seemingly ordinary school rooftop, covered in a layer of dust.
If not for the blood-red moon hanging in the sky, it might have appeared harmless. But from the moment they stepped onto it, Takakai felt an intense, prickling gaze—something watching them with malicious intent.
"Stay alert."
Takakai scanned their surroundings but found nothing out of place.
Wasn't there supposed to be a [Cat Uncle] up here? Where is it?
The sensation of being watched grew stronger, yet the rooftop remained eerily empty—just a signal tower and a power distribution room. No traces of anything supernatural.
"The thing from the 0th Floor has stopped... We've entered another specter's territory, one that (repels) others of its kind. It hasn't appeared yet because the conditions aren't met."
Kumami faced the rooftop door, her back to the others, sensing the terrifying presence of the 0th Floor specter lurking behind it. After a moment, she spoke again.
"Not sure if that's good or bad news..."
Takakai shook his head, then glanced at Miko—only to find her frowning, listening intently.
"I hear... a cat. Very faint, far away."
Miko sounded uncertain.
A cat?
Takakai guessed this must be the [Cat Uncle] mentioned in the rules. But unlike typical specters, it wasn't immediately revealing itself. Instead, it seemed to be playing hide-and-seek.
The rules had mentioned four key points:
The rooftop is off-limits.Cat Uncle hates rule-breakers."Don't make him angry" (ambiguous whether "him" refers to the cat or the rule-breaker). Try bribing him with fish.
On the surface, these could be read as connected—entering the rooftop angers Cat Uncle, but bribes might help. But they could also be four separate traps, each a potential death sentence.
"Miko, focus. Listen carefully. I'm here—you're safe."
Takakai's steady voice eased some of Miko's tension. She nodded, whispering "I'll try," before closing her eyes and actively using her perception for the first time.
The ability she'd always loathed—the one that forced her to see horrors—now became a tool.
[Meow~]
The sound came again, clearer this time.
Miko saw the past:
A stray cat sneaking onto the rooftop, trapped. Students secretly feeding it fish scraps despite the ban. One student, smiling as they petted the purring creature.
She understood now—how to summon the specter.
And she also saw... the second specter lurking here, the real danger.
[Meow~~~]
A soft cry echoed—but the student saw no cat.
Then, another student appeared behind them, mimicking the sound perfectly.
"Gh—!"
A spike of pain lanced through Miko's skull.
Takakai shielded her instantly, his gaze snapping to a figure materializing near the rooftop's edge—a twisted honor student, half his skull caved in, grinning wildly.
Miko's vision revealed the truth:
The rule-breaker was another honor student who'd discovered the cat. He'd learned to mimic its cries, then hid, waiting to "surprise" the feeder. When the moment came, he commanded the feeder to freeze, then revealed the cat's mangled corpse.
Just as the memory unfolded—
CRACK!
Kumami's chain slammed into the specter's head, sending it sprawling. The paralysis on Takakai and Miko broke, and Takakai lunged forward, decapitating the specter in one swing, then dismembering it for good measure.
But this wasn't the end.
Miko whispered, "After the rule-breaker is suppressed... the real specter appears."
As if summoned, something stirred near the rooftop entrance.
A mass of flesh peeled itself from the shadows.
Cats.
Dozens of them—torn apart, stitched together with human remains: fingers, eyeballs, organs, all twitching in unison.
[Meow~ Purr~]
The abomination sang in chorus.
Miko realized the truth:
There was no stray cat. The school had planted one here deliberately to lure rule-breakers. This "experiment" repeated until an honor student was killed by a victim. The project was scrapped, but the resentment remained, festering into this thing.
A specter even the school couldn't fully erase.
And now, it was hungry.
[Ara ara~ Want to play with Uncle Cat?]
A girl's giggle cut through the tension.
The grotesque mass vanished.
The rooftop transformed—into a pastel wonderland: candy-colored trees, grazing deer, hopping rabbits.
And on a swing under a tree, Alice smiled sweetly, her white lolita dress fluttering.
The final Alice—the core Relic's will—had appeared.
We're on the right path, Takakai realized. She's desperate.
But her timing was perfect.
As their attention snapped to her, the real attack came.
A "rabbit" darted past Takakai—
—and his torso split open, blood spraying.
In his perception, it had just been an innocent animal.