Kumami opened her eyes to see Takakai sitting nearby.
Their exchange was brief—barely ten minutes—yet it was enough for Kumami to grasp the essentials: Takakai was cursed, bound to clear the Fujika Academy scenario to escape. She also learned he'd successfully contained two of Alice's Obsessions and shattered the scenario's false facade.
Takakai omitted specifics about how he'd managed it. Kumami didn't press. Though she found his victory over Alice in Fujika Academy absurd, the fact he'd extracted her from Alice's hidden dollhouse and revived her proved his capability. That sufficed to regard him as both savior and ally.
Kumami had always been adaptable—a necessity for rising to the upper ranks of [Slackers' Guild]. Her ability to laugh off even the worst situations was what let her thrive in that eccentric faction.
Yet her outlook on their mission was bleak.
"So," Kumami mused, slouching against the wall with a cigarette dangling from her lips, "it's us two, plus some high school girl with perception surpassing even Crimson Moon players, and twenty-odd deadweight newbies. We're blind-running a Crimson Moon scenario—one with zero prior intel—and aiming not just to clear it, but annihilate its core in one shot. That about sums it up?"
"Accurate," Takakai confirmed without hesitation. "At least, I don't have a choice if I want to live."
"Relax, we're all doomed anyway."
Kumami nodded, her grin wider than when she'd revived in the third loop.
...She'd clearly accepted their fate.
Takakai felt a twinge of guilt, but he couldn't deny the absurd odds. The Black Watch's demands left no room for retreat—he had to resolve Fujika Academy's core Obsession, fulfilling the grudge of Japan's First Male Shooter (the bastard who'd capped him three times), or remain trapped forever.
Yet this loop offered advantages over prior ones:
[Lunch Break] was a genuine safe period. Until [14:10], nothing would disturb them—a first.
They finally had time to revive the second veteran player.
"Planning to revive this Touyama Akira guy?" Kumami eyed the doll in Takakai's hands. "Japanese player, right? Vague memories—shared drinks at meetups, nothing deep. Can't vouch for his temperament."
"Will he cooperate?" Takakai paused.
"Likely. Dude was a saint—helped anyone, even strangers. Total doormat. But that's not the issue." Kumami's expression darkened.
"I have a Blessing that overwrites my personality, nullifying mental corruption. Torture? Meaningless. But Touyama? Unknown if he's resilient."
"Conscious dollification—that half-dead state—is next-level torture. Even with a restored body, his mind might be scrambled. He could be vegetative. Or worse—fully deranged."
"Honestly, you got lucky reviving me first. Think hard before unleashing him."
Takakai smiled faintly. "I've considered the risks. But at this stage, any ally is worth the gamble. Worst case, we flee to another hospital zone—Fujika Academy's borders might trap me, but this asylum's vast enough to hide in."
With that, he peeled the doll's outer layer, administering three pills instead of the full four for complete restoration. Precautions were prudent.
As the flesh within stirred, Takakai set it aside and retreated. Kumami mirrored him, positioning herself to intercept threats faster.
The regeneration was sluggish—missing one pill left the process unstable. The flesh writhed, forming bones and veins, but the figure remained frail, like someone starved for days.
"Touyama's really that benevolent?" Takakai asked during the wait.
"Yeah. Mediated conflicts in his faction, kept morale absurdly high. The kind of guy who makes you wonder how he's still alive." Kumami kept her eyes locked on the reforming flesh.
A sudden chill radiated from the mass.
Wrong.
Takakai's instincts screamed.
Bzzzt—
A mechanical whirring erupted from the half-formed body.
Before Takakai could react, Kumami hurled him aside.
The flesh-figure stood.
Kumami's bronze eyes flashed, freezing it momentarily—but it broke free within seconds, plunging a hand into its own chest.
"STAY BACK!" Kumami barked. "Dual Obsession backlash—two Midnight-grade or higher Obsessions' curses are possessing him!"
She lunged forward.
BOOM
A sonic boom cracked the air as Kumami's fist shattered the wall, sending the figure flying into the hallway.
Unharmed.
A blood-crusted chainsaw now roared in its grip—Tommy Lo's Butcher Shop's infamous Obsession, [Blood Saw].
"Fuck! Why's this in his hands?!" Kumami snarled, stomping the floor. The ground collapsed, dropping the figure to the lower floor.
"Blood Saw?" Takakai asked as Kumami retreated to his side.
"Rare mass-produced Obsession from Tommy Lo's Butcher Shop (Crimson Moon scenario). Can harm even Crimson Moon entities. But it feeds on the wielder's sanity—most pawn it off on cannon fodder. Who the hell mains this shit?!"
CRASH
The building quaked as the figure surged back up, now surrounded by orderlies.
Lights dimmed.
Shattered walls began reconstructing.
The hospital's entities were reacting—two Crimson Moon forces were clashing.
Takakai had no intention of spectating. His gaze snapped to the nearby, now-exposed room—the one holding the core Obsession, [Hirano Sousuke].
Touyama's outburst had breached its walls.
No orderlies. No barriers.
Just an open path to the scenario's heart.
...Do I dare approach it now?