Silence.
That was Takakai's first impression of the swimming pool building.
From the moment they entered, there had been no sounds—no traces of supernatural entities, no whispers, no distant footsteps.
The place felt eerily empty, so much so that Takakai almost let his guard down.
Almost.
Because Miko was still feeling the stares of those student-shaped things outside.
So he knew—this was only a temporary refuge.
They needed a solution, and fast.
Tch. Easier said than done.
Takakai had no leads.
He moved quickly, sweeping the building for clues.
Soon, he found two things:
Swimming Pool Rules posted on the wall.
A map of the facility.
The rules were mundane, identical to what the players had recorded yesterday:
[Swimming Pool Regulations]
School swimsuits mandatory. Special cases must notify the teacher beforehand.
Keep the pool clean. Polluting the water results in disciplinary action.
Use designated changing rooms. Lost items will be held at the lost-and-found until month-end.
No dangerous behavior (diving, running, fake drowning, etc.). Repeat offenders will be banned.
Absences require advance notice. Emergencies must be approved by the teacher.
Pool access restricted to class hours.
Do not damage facilities. Violators will compensate and face penalties.
Nothing unusual.
No Life Club or Kaidan Club markings.
The map was equally straightforward—no hidden passages, no complex layouts.
But Takakai didn't relax.
He knew rules could change in an instant.
Especially now that they were violating Rule 6 by being here outside class hours.
And given their "deepened" awareness, the dungeon might shift at any moment.
[Shijou Maki: …kai-kun? Ugh… kai-kun, where… are you? It's like… something's stuck in my head, but I can't remember… The others don't seem to recall you at all. Only Fujiwara's acting strange. What's going on…?]
Maki's voice, confused but persistent, echoed through their mental link.
It seemed emotional bonds could weaken the dungeon's memory suppression—but at a risk.
If Maki fully remembered him, those student entities might turn hostile toward her.
Same with Chika…
Guess they're the ones closest to me in this mess.
Shared suffering breeds loyalty, huh?
[Takakai: Don't force it. Tell Chika the same. If you remember too quickly, it might put you in danger. Check the students—do they seem abnormal?]
[Shijou Maki: They look normal for now… Wait, some are heading toward the pool. But the pool's closed right now. They're acting… weird. The others aren't noticing…]
Maki tried alerting Kumami and the team, but no one reacted.
Only Fujiwara Chika, frowning as if struggling to recall something, turned to look—and immediately spotted the anomaly.
Why is everyone else ignoring this?
And why do I trust this voice in my head so much, even though I can barely remember his name?
This dungeon… something's very wrong.
Wait. Kai-kun asked about abnormal students, and now they're moving toward the pool…
[Shijou Maki: Are you at the pool? Can you see students coming your way?]
[Takakai: …Yeah. But not just a few. It's practically the entire school.]
As he responded, Takakai's expression darkened.
The rules poster had changed.
An eighth rule now appeared:
[8. If you can see this, you've touched something you shouldn't have, and drawn the students' hostility. You're hiding here because it's usually empty—but this isn't safe. Leave immediately for the wooded area behind the school. Our club's hideout is there. It's your only chance.]
[I'm Ebisaka Masaki of the Life Club. If you're reading this, run. In your state, the campus won't accept you. You're surrounded by those who hate you, those who ignore you, and maybe others like you. Every second you stay makes escape harder.]
At the same moment, Bocchi rushed over from the entrance.
"They're coming. Hundreds of them."
No time to hesitate.
Takakai peered outside—and saw rows of blank-faced students, moving like puppets, converging on the building.
A sea of bodies, advancing relentlessly.
He sent a final warning to Maki—[Don't act recklessly]—then burst out the door, carrying Miko on his back and dragging Bocchi by the hand.
Their destination: the wooded area at the campus's edge.
In the original Yoruyama High, this led to Mount Yoruyama—a vast zone housing the old campus, power plant, and hidden military base, spanning ten times the school's size.
But in this altered version, the path had been "sealed"—or so they thought.
Maybe it wasn't blocked.
Maybe we just couldn't see it before.
Only those isolated by deep knowledge can perceive the true path.
But first, we have to get there alive.
They didn't get far.
The students chased them with inhuman speed.
In seconds, the gap closed from 100 meters to 50, then 20.
What kind of bullshit chase mechanic is this?!
Takakai glanced back—and saw a tidal wave of bodies, expressions blank, sprinting faster than any human could.
Bocchi strummed her guitar, summoning clones as distractions—but they were swarmed instantly, gone in a flash.
Too many. No Obsession Artifact can handle this.
Unless…
Takakai's hand tightened around Alice's Room—his emergency safe zone, usable once per dungeon for five hours of refuge.
If he used it now, they could wait out the horde, then break through with Chiyo's barrier and Bocchi's clone sacrifices.
But once activated, it'd be unavailable for ten days—a last resort.
Still… this might be the time.
Ding-ding-ding-ding—!
A bell rang, sharp and clear.
The students froze mid-step.
Takakai stumbled, nearly dropping Miko in shock.
Then—
The students turned away, marching back toward the main building, their speed even faster than before.
The class bell?
But it's not even 7:30 yet…
[Shijou Maki: Hai-kun! Are you safe now? Chika and I hacked into the announcement room in the annex. We triggered the bell early. Those things were chasing you, right? Did it work?]
Takakai exhaled, half-relieved, half-exasperated.
Saved again.
I told her not to act, but damn if her instincts aren't sharp.
[Takakai: Thanks. Get out of there—the timing's off, so there might be fallout. If the students start noticing you, head for the woods. But only if they're already hostile. Otherwise, you'll just end up like us.]
As he sent the message, he kept running, Miko clinging to his back and Bocchi panting beside him.
"Did… someone just help us?"
Miko, still shaky from the close call, whispered the question.
"Yeah. Someone always reliable."
Takakai's voice carried warmth, gratitude, and pride.
Shijou-san and Fujiwara-san?
Miko guessed who he meant—only those two could make him sound so at ease.
Amazing…
Even unable to see each other, even with memories suppressed, they'd saved them through sheer instinct and trust.
For a moment, Miko felt a pang of envy.
But she shook it off, focusing instead on scanning for threats.
Bocchi, meanwhile, was utterly lost.
What's he talking about? Who's this "reliable person"?
Why does he sound like a mystery novel protagonist?!
Finally, they reached the wooded area—a quiet, seldom-visited corner of the campus.
As they stepped into the trees, the school bell faded behind them, replaced by the rustling of leaves.
But the real trial was just beginning.