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"Sounds so perverted."
Fujiwara Chika showed a look of disgust.
"It is indeed a bit perverted." Yukinoshita Yukino nodded in agreement, "However, Hiruko no Kami is not human, so we cannot judge it by human moral standards. The truly perverted one should be that man."
Amamiya Natsuki casually said, "I don't think it's a big deal. In the face of life and death, being a little perverted is normal…"
"Stare—"
Several girls looked over in unison.
Amamiya Natsuki immediately put on a serious expression: "Such behavior, disregarding ethics and morals, is too perverted and must be condemned!"
Getting back to the main topic.
Hayasaka Ai quickly said:
"Mr. Director, please continue to explain what happened next."
The middle-aged director's voice was low as he said:
"The Hishigata family is an old noble family on the Island. They were previously responsible for the sacrificial activities on the Island. After encountering Hiruko no Kami, the Hishigata family split into the Kariya family. The Hishigata family took on the duties of the Hospital on the Island and provided food to Hiruko no Kami, while the Kariya family was responsible for sacrificing to the gods in the shrine. Yote's current identity… is the shrine priest, Kariya Masato."
Fujiwara Chika said softly:
"It's the truth."
The mirror did not react, indicating that what the middle-aged director said was indeed the truth.
Amamiya Natsuki and Kaguya exchanged glances, their expressions somewhat subtle.
Yote's true identity was actually the shrine priest. Everyone in the second loop clearly didn't know this information and had swaggered into the enemy's lair. Fortunately, something must have happened along the way, and they didn't encounter Yote in the shrine, otherwise, they would have been ganged up on.
"A few final questions." Amamiya Natsuki said calmly, "How many shadow duplicates are there in the Hospital?"
At this point, the middle-aged director had no intention of hiding anything and said resignedly:
"There are two people who have been replaced by shadows: Head nurse Nezu and Doctor Fujita."
Yukinoshita Yukino recorded the information while coldly saying:
"The doctor is responsible for 'surgical accidents,' the nurse is responsible for disposing of bodies, and you are responsible for covering up the truth, sending those innocent people to Hiruko no Kami as food… When you wake up in the middle of the night, does your conscience feel no guilt?"
"…"
The middle-aged director remained silent, unwilling to answer.
Amamiya Natsuki then asked:
"Where is the secret passage that leads directly to the cave system?"
The middle-aged director whispered:
"The dissection room on the first basement floor."
Shinomiya Kaguya crossed her arms and asked:
"Is there anything dangerous near Hiruko no Kami?"
"I don't…" The middle-aged director was about to say he didn't know, but looking at the truth mirror, he quickly deflated. As a normal human, facing a supernatural entity, he had no room to resist. "There are many shadow beasts around Hiruko no Kami."
"Hmm?" Amamiya Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly, "What are those?"
The middle-aged director's voice was low as he said:
"After shadows duplicate humans, they don't die of old age. If the original body isn't eliminated in time, they will lose consciousness within a few days and become shadow beasts with only instincts. Besides that, transforming too many times will also cause the shadow to gradually lose its sanity and become a shadow beast."
Yukinoshita Yukino frowned slightly and said:
"How many shadow beasts are there? Why haven't we seen them on the Island?"
"I don't know how many, but there are many." The middle-aged director shook his head, "Although those shadow beasts have lost their sanity and only have beast instincts, they still obey Hiruko no Kami's commands and are usually all in the cave system."
"That was close." Fujiwara Chika couldn't help but pat her chest, feeling a little scared, "Good thing we didn't just rush in earlier."
Hiruko no Kami has been on this small Island for over three hundred years. No one knows how many shadow beasts there are during this time, but the number is definitely not small.
Amamiya Natsuki asked again:
"Mr. Director, do you know Hiruko no Kami's weakness?"
"Sorry, I don't know." The middle-aged director shook his head, "In fact, I've only seen Hiruko no Kami once in all these years."
"…"
It was an expected answer. Although it was slightly disappointing, overall, this interrogation was exceptionally satisfying.
All the information they wanted to know had been obtained. Only one question remained.
"President, what should we do with him?" Hayasaka Ai tilted her head and asked.
The middle-aged director's breathing hitched, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead from nervousness.
He could ignore the life and death of others, but when it came to his own, he realized how terrifying life and death truly were.
Amamiya Natsuki pondered:
"Let me think…"
The best way to deal with an enemy is, of course, to kill them directly to prevent them from leaking information, but this middle-aged man is not a shadow, so killing him directly would inevitably cause some psychological burden.
At this moment, Shinomiya Kaguya parted her pink lips and suggested:
"President, you can transform into him, pretend to leave, say you're out on business and won't be back until tomorrow, and leave the rest to us."
"Okay."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded slightly, agreeing.
In front of the middle-aged director, he transformed into the other party, then pushed up the glasses on his nose, and under the middle-aged director's despairing gaze, walked out, saying:
"I'm going out first."
Shinomiya Kaguya said softly: "Lock the office door from the inside. We'll go down through the window later."
"…"
Amamiya Natsuki waved his hand and walked out of the office, strolling unhurriedly downstairs.
Before long, he met a young nurse, waved to her to ask where nurse Nezu was, and then found Head nurse Nezu, who had been replaced by a shadow. As expected, like other shadow duplicates, her cold face showed no emotion.
"Director?"
The shadow Head nurse looked over with a cold, indifferent expression.
Amamiya Natsuki said casually:
"I'm out on business and won't be back until tomorrow. My phone might be unreachable during this time. If anything comes up, I'll deal with it when I return tomorrow."
The shadow Head nurse couldn't determine Amamiya Natsuki's true identity and calmly said upon hearing this:
"Understood."
"…"
Amamiya Natsuki nodded slightly, and under nurse Nezu's gaze, walked out of the Hospital, then circled around to avoid surveillance, returned to the back of the Hospital, and sent a message to Kaguya on his phone.
"I'm downstairs. You can see me if you open the window."
Splash.
The window was quickly pushed open gently.
Fujiwara Chika poked her pretty face out, looked down, and whispered:
"We've already dealt with the demon director. We'll be down now."
Amamiya Natsuki spread his arms and looked up, saying:
"Jump down."
"President, catch me."
Fujiwara Chika didn't hesitate and leaped from the second-floor window.
Thump.
A fragrant breeze wafted over.
Amamiya Natsuki caught secretary Chika steadily in a bridal carry and couldn't help but whisper:
"Have you been… again recently?"
"Again what?" Secretary Chika's bright smile suddenly turned dangerous, "President, be careful or I'll hit you."
Amamiya Natsuki's expression became serious, and he put Chika down: "I didn't say anything."
Another pretty face appeared at the window. Hayasaka Ai whispered:
"Senpai, should I jump?"
Amamiya Natsuki looked up and said:
"Jump down."
After Hayasaka was Lady Kaguya, and finally, Miss Nekonoshita.
Looking at Amamiya Natsuki with his arms open downstairs, Nekonoshita's pretty face showed a hint of hesitation.
It was only the height of the second floor; she could easily jump down by herself without needing anyone to catch her. But… Kaguya and the others had all been caught. If she was the only one to object, would it make her seem too concerned?
After two seconds of hesitation, Yukinoshita Yukino took a deep breath and leaped from the window.
They had already kissed… a hug wouldn't matter.
Thump.
Amamiya Natsuki steadily caught Yukino in a bridal carry, and under Lady Kaguya's gaze, he put her down without the slightest lingering, then asked:
"How did you deal with the director?"
"I'll tell you." Fujiwara Chika's voice was clear as she said, "Kaguya said that although the demon director aided and abetted evil and did very bad things, his judgment should be left to the law, not to us. So Hanamori-chan injected him with an anesthetic that won't wear off until at least tomorrow noon. Then we tied his hands and feet, stuffed a towel in his mouth, and put him in a filing cabinet."
Amamiya Natsuki had replaced the director's identity and walked around the Hospital, and coupled with the girls' cleanup work, it basically eliminated the possibility of the director leaking secrets.
"Let's make quick work of it." Shinomiya Kaguya said, crossing her arms, "Since we know Yote's identity, we should capture him immediately."
"Exactly." Hayasaka Ai nodded in agreement, "While the other party doesn't know our whereabouts, let's execute a decapitation strike directly."
Yukinoshita Yukino said softly:
"I've already sent a message to my sister. They are safe now and have successfully rendezvoused with Kitagawa Marin."
Amamiya Natsuki said:
"Stick out your hand. Paste skill."
"…"
Skill pasting complete.
The group randomly chose a passing tourist, replaced their identity, and then rushed to the shrine without delay.
"The weather is so hot." Fujiwara Chika wiped the sweat from her forehead and whispered, "We went to the shrine at night in the last loop. Now that the light is so good, we probably don't need to drink the Witch Potion."
"Hmm…"
Hearing the term 'last loop,' Shinomiya Kaguya couldn't help but think of the panties that had vanished into thin air.
So, what exactly happened in the last loop for her panties to disappear?!
(Could it be… could it be that President and I wanted to do that?)
At this thought, a blush quickly spread across Shinomiya Kaguya's pretty face.
She was no longer the sheltered Lady. Under Mrs. Shimizu's influence, she clearly understood how boys and girls made babies. To learn positions for the future, she had even secretly looked at some books that absolutely couldn't be told to others…
(No, impossible!)
Shinomiya Kaguya quickly shook her head, chasing away the heart-pounding images in her mind.
(Even if the President wanted to do that, it should be in reality, not in a perilous dungeon, right?)
(But… what if?)
(I heard that once boys get impulsive, their rationality can turn negative. What if the President really, really wanted to do that?)
(All in all, there's no third possibility for those panties other than taking them off herself or having the President roughly take them off!)
"Kaguya?" Amamiya Natsuki noticed Lady Kaguya's abnormality and asked in a low voice, "What are you thinking about?"
"Pan…" Shinomiya Kaguya quickly bit her tongue, tears welling up as she looked away, "N-nothing at all!"
"Kaguya's face is so red, is she too hot?" Hayasaka Ai said from the side, "Have some water."
Blushing wasn't because it was too hot, but...
"Thank you, Hanamori."
Kaguya took the drink and gulped it down, finally dispelling the terrible images in her mind.
Hold back.
Can't think about it.
Anyway, it happened in the previous cycle, and it has nothing to do with herself in this cycle!
The journey was silent.
The group followed the mountain path and soon arrived at the entrance of the shrine located at the summit.
"We're here."
Yukinoshita Yukino let out a soft breath, speaking in a low voice while vigilantly observing her surroundings.
It was a hot summer afternoon, and few people were willing to climb the mountain under the scorching sun, so the shrine was quite quiet, with a gentle breeze blowing and tree shadows swaying.
Upon entering the shrine, they saw a Miko standing behind a fortune-telling stall not far away, bored and playing with her phone.
Amamiya Natsuki and the others walked forward, beginning to draw fortunes and pray as tourists.
Hayasaka Ai subtly shifted two steps, then quietly stepped on the Miko's shadow on the ground, before winking at the others:
"The Miko is human."
Since she was human, they could ask her questions without worry.
Fujiwara Chika clasped her hands together and smiled:
"Excuse me, where is the chief Priest Kariya? Someone asked us to deliver something to him."
The Miko, not suspecting anything, quickly replied:
"The chief Priest is cultivating in the backyard. I'll take you there."
"Thank you!" Fujiwara Chika happily thanked her.
A moment later.
The Miko led them to the shrine's backyard and knocked on the door:
"Chief Priest, someone is looking for you. They said they have something to deliver."
A deep, magnetic voice came from inside the room:
"Please come in."
Amamiya Natsuki and the girls exchanged glances, then pushed open the door.
A middle-aged man kneeling on the tatami mat appeared before them. He was identical to the man Amamiya Natsuki had drawn in his notebook at the beginning of the third cycle. Without a doubt, it was Yote.
"Chief Priest Kariya, we meet again." Amamiya Natsuki raised his hand in greeting.
Yote looked a bit confused, pushing up the glasses on his nose: "Have we met?"
Amamiya Natsuki didn't answer, turning to look at the Miko.
Kariya waved his hand:
"You go attend to the guests first."
The Miko bowed slightly:
"Chief Priest, I'll be leaving now."
Bang.
As the Miko left, Hayasaka Ai turned and closed the door.
Seeing this, Yote frowned slightly:
"If you have something to say, you can say it openly..."
Before he could finish, Fujiwara Chika pointed her finger and decisively activated the combination skill of 'Seize and Eliminate Evil': "Don, the Outlaw, it's you!"
"Hmm?"
Yote was startled at first, then a shocked expression appeared on his face. He was about to stand up, but the next second, Amamiya Natsuki appeared beside him.
Slap.
With his right hand on Yote's shoulder, Amamiya Natsuki deactivated his transformation skill and then said:
"Mr. Yote, we meet again."
"Impossible!" Yote said in disbelief, "How do you have memories of the previous cycle?!"
"The world is vast, full of wonders." Amamiya Natsuki shrugged, "There's the supernatural creature Hiruko no Kami, and Shadows that can continuously reincarnate. You can afford to be more accepting."
Yote quickly calmed down, stating calmly:
"To the victor go the spoils. Since you've found me first, then kill me. But before I die, can you tell me why you have memories of the previous cycle?"
Amamiya Natsuki decisively shook his head: "Of course not."
Killing the human Yote in front of him was simple, but he didn't know if Hiruko no Kami would initiate a time reset again. Only a fool would reveal information.
"Something feels off." Shinomiya Kaguya crossed her arms, speaking softly, "A person who has reincarnated for over three hundred years through that method should be quite afraid of death, so why would he say something like 'kill me'?"
Yukinoshita Yukino nodded slightly:
"It does feel a bit off. He's too calm."
Yote said expressionlessly:
"You've already killed me twice. The first time, you didn't say a single word and directly struck me down, clearly targeting me. In that case, even if I cried and begged for mercy, it wouldn't make a difference, would it?"
Amamiya Natsuki narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, and a prompt quickly appeared before him.
[You have observed carefully and discovered Yote's secret of being fearless... Reincarnation does not stipulate that one can only reincarnate into one body.]
"This prompt..."
Amamiya Natsuki looked at Chika, giving her a subtle wink.
Fujiwara Chika understood, took out the Magic Mirror, and held it up to Yote, asking:
"Mr. Yote, are you really not afraid of death?"
Yote's voice was low: "No."
Amamiya Natsuki suddenly asked:
"How many avatars do you have?"
This Yote had an incredibly strong psychological fortitude. Facing Amamiya Natsuki's sudden question, he showed no unusual expression. Unfortunately, he didn't know the power of the Magic Mirror.
"None... I have two avatars!"
Involuntarily blurting out his biggest secret, Yote finally couldn't maintain his composure: "Is it the power of this mirror?"
"That's right." Fujiwara Chika put her right hand on her hip, "As long as you're reflected in the Magic Mirror, no one can lie."
Shinomiya Kaguya said softly:
"No wonder he was fearless; it turns out he has avatars."
"He has two avatars, so there should still be one main body." Hayasaka Ai rested her right hand on her chin, analyzing, "It sounds a bit like a combination of Nagato and Pain."
However, in the second cycle information provided by Amamiya Natsuki, everyone successfully completed the mission of eliminating Yote. In other words, whether it was a clone or the main body, as long as any one was eliminated, it counted as completing the sub-mission.
"Hehehe... Hahahaha..." Yote suddenly started laughing.
Hayasaka Ai frowned, looking at him: "What are you laughing at?"
"Transformation ability, restraint ability, Time Stop, and even a mirror that has the magic to make people tell the truth. Players truly are a magical existence." Yote reined in his laughter, "But if you can't complete the mission, you'll be left behind forever, won't you? Let me guess, your mission should be similar, isn't it to protect a certain human?"
Amamiya Natsuki frowned, and his mind raced, instantly understanding why the man in front of him knew so much.
"They must have captured other players." Fujiwara Chika gasped, also realizing, "They must have gotten the information from other players."
Other players most likely didn't know about the time reset. It was already the third cycle, and in the second cycle, the identities of most casual players had already been figured out. It was very possible that as soon as the third cycle began, these guys were captured and revealed everything, or perhaps Hiruko no Kami even broke through the players' memory fog.
"Such interesting existences, yet I cannot become one of you." Yote's laughter became maniacal, "In that case, I want all of you players to stay here and accompany me until the world is destroyed!"
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