Kaguya Shinomiya's voice.
Calm. Normal.
Utterly wrong for this time and place.
Takakai and Maki's eyes widened in unison.
"This door seems stuck. Ah, the lock's jammed. No wonder you couldn't leave."
"Step back. I'll get it open."
The voice continued—undeniably Kaguya's, interspersed with Green and Sun's murmurs.
All four of them.
Outside the door.
How…?
Takakai's mind reeled.
He understood what this meant.
Do not respond.
Do not engage.
His hands dug into his pockets, fishing out the earplugs from the supply box.
If we don't hear them, we might survive. If we don't interact—
BAM!
The door burst open.
Kaguya stepped in, holding a makeshift torch—wood wrapped in cloth.
"Are you okay? After you vanished, Room 208's door opened. We sensed something wrong and came looking. The hallway's completely twisted now—no idea why."
Her expression was full of concern.
Sun Dajun stepped forward, apologetic.
"I'm so sorry. I thought you were kidnappers. Now I see… you were trying to help. I'm sorry. Really."
His face was twisted with guilt.
Maeda Miwa sniffled, adding her own tearful apology.
Green just shook his head, muttering "Took you long enough"—though he seemed disappointed, as if he'd enjoyed lording over Sun and Maeda earlier.
Takakai and Maki stood frozen.
This defied all logic.
The knocking anomaly had never physically entered their space.
But now?
These people had walked right in—looking completely normal.
"Are you hurt? Did anything happen here?"
Kaguya's gaze was steady, her tone sincere.
No flaws.
No red flags.
"I thought… you'd become one of those knocking things."
Takakai's voice was stiff at first, then smoothed out, as if nothing was wrong.
"Of course not. I'm the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family. I don't fail so easily. Ah—after nightfall, all the clocks vanished. The nighttime rules must be different. We should return to a room. It's safer."
Kaguya gestured for them to follow, already turning away.
" Kaguya-Obasama… are you really okay? All of you…?"
Maki's voice was dazed, her feet already moving on their own.
Did I forget something?
Takakai stepped forward, walking beside Kaguya into the fractured hallway.
Wait.
Am I missing something?
He looked down at his black wristwatch.
They were reunited.
The apartment was dangerous, but together, they could endure.
He had so many questions—with Kaguya and the others' help, he could find answers.
But still…
Something gnawed at him.
Something he should've asked the moment he saw Kaguya.
What was it?
"K-Kaguya-san…"
Takakai's voice was strained.
What?
"Hm? What is it?"
Kaguya turned, patient.
What was I going to say?
Takakai stared at her.
His mouth opened, but no sound came.
Like grease clogging his thoughts, stifling his voice.
I had a question.
I know I did.
What was it?
The harder he focused, the fuzzier it became.
"Takakai-san?"
Kaguya tilted her head.
What?
He looked down again—at his watch.
The question… it wasn't just about me.
It involved Maki too.
Something crucial.
"Uh…"
Finally, something surfaced.
"Maki-san's backpack… did you find it?"
He didn't recall the exact context, but he remembered the bag.
"Ah! My bag from 208—"
Maki blinked, turning to Kaguya.
"Oh, this? Here you go."
A worn backpack—already slung over Kaguya's shoulders—was handed to Maki.
Somehow, neither Takakai nor Maki had noticed it until now.
Maki took it, unzipping it on instinct.
The bag was empty, save for a dirty slip of paper.
Her expression didn't change.
She zipped it back up, hoisting it onto her back.
"Need me to carry it for you?"
Green smiled, stepping closer.
Kaguya watched silently.
Sun and Maeda edged forward, curious about Maki's hesitation.
"Yeah. Help me with it."
Maki's voice was quiet.
"Sure, I'll just—URK—"
Green's smile froze.
He never touched the bag.
Instead, Maki's foot slammed between his legs, bending him double.
THWACK!
A pivoting elbow strike to the temple—Green crashed to the floor, a giant felled by a girl half his size.
Before anyone could react—
Maki's foot hooked Sun's ankle, yanking him off-balance.
He collided with Maeda, sending both tumbling.
Two seconds.
Three down.
Maki whirled, charging Kaguya.
The backpack swung like a flail, but Kaguya dodged.
A follow-up punch was deflected.
They grappled—but Maki used the momentum, letting Kaguya's push send her stumbling backward—
Right into Takakai.
CRASH!
Maki yanked his arm, sprinting down the hall.
"RUN! DON'T STOP!"
Takakai didn't hesitate.
"What are you doing?! The halls are dangerous at night!"
Kaguya's voice chased them, furious.
"SHUT UP! DON'T YOU DARE USE HER VOICE!"
Maki's shout was raw, trembling.
The note fluttered from the bag, spinning to the floor.
A single line, in shaky handwriting:
[DO NOT TRUST ME.]
Seeing it, Takakai's mind cleared instantly.
He ran, Maki pulling him forward.
Somehow, they outpaced Kaguya, tearing through the warped hallway.
Walls slanted. Doors splintered open at impossible angles.
Trash bags and rubble littered the path.
Where are we?!
No time to think.
Just run.
"Stop running! You're making this harder!"
Kaguya's voice closer now.
"Only bad children stay out at night. Don't you understand?"
Closer.
Closer.
Whispers swirled around them—voices muttering, watching from the dark.
Just observing.
Always just observing.
Wait—
These aren't my thoughts.
Takakai's steps faltered.
A figure lurched into view ahead—bloodied, limping.
Old Guo.
"Again? Another face this time?"
Before Takakai could speak—
Old Guo raised a black pistol, firing three shots.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Maki tackled Takakai, both crashing into a trash pile.
Kaguya staggered, clutching her head.
"Tch. I told you—children who don't obey are bad children."
Her voice was icy.
"Oh come on, this is cheating…"
Takakai groaned, looking up at her.
Blood seeped from the bullet holes in her skull.
Mucus-like fluid oozed from the gashes in her cheeks.
"Goddammit, not again—"
Old Guo turned to flee.
"O kawaii Koto."
Kaguya moved.
Faster than before.
Unshackled.
She closed the distance instantly, her hand clamping onto Old Guo's shoulder.
Takakai didn't look back.
He hauled Maki up, sprinting the other way.
Now he understood.
The rule [Do not inflict fatal or knockout wounds]—
It wasn't for their protection.
It was hers.
Somewhere, children's laughter echoed, then vanished.
The floor groaned, cracks spiderwebbing underfoot.
Then—
CRUMBLE!
The ground gave way.
Takakai and Maki plummeted, rolling into a mound of garbage bags as dust and debris rained down.