Opening his eyes, Fumiya Jin found himself sitting on a cold marble floor, his back against the back of a leather sofa.
He glanced around...
This seemed to be the living room of a rather luxurious high-end apartment, fully equipped with a large-screen TV, a leather sofa, a mahogany cabinet, a glass coffee table, and a crystal chandelier.
The lights in the living room were off.
But ahead was a pristine floor-to-ceiling window, and rose-colored moonlight spilled in from outside, providing basic illumination for the room.
Huh. Wait.
Why is it rose-colored?
Fumiya Jin sensed something was wrong and was about to get up to take a look when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from beside him.
"Fumiya-san, are you awake?"
A clear, crisp voice, exuding a faint gentleness...
Fumiya Jin turned his head to look.
He saw an angelic, blonde-haired girl sitting about a meter to his right.
Her petite body was slender and cute, her slightly smiling face sweet and charming.
The side ponytail she wore was especially distinctive.
It was none other than Nijika Ijichi.
At this moment, Nijika looked a bit different.
She was wearing cat ears, a pink maid outfit from Nekopara, and white silk stockings on her legs. She wasn't wearing shoes, and her two "little popsicles"—a clear violation of food safety standards—rested on the floor, swaying slightly. It was incredibly alluring.
Moreover, she was holding a white popsicle, her delicate pink tongue licking it rhythmically... just like a little kitten lapping up milk, a sight that was especially tantalizing.
"Why are you staring at me like that... Do you like it?" Nijika smiled faintly, licked the popsicle again, and said with a grin, "Want some popsicle? Should I feed it to you?" "I want some, but not that one"—the thought almost subconsciously formed in Fumiya Jin's mind.
But he just looked at Nijika without answering.
He simply sized her up quietly for several seconds.
He secretly made a resolution in his heart—once he got out, he would definitely have his real Nijika dress like this for him!
That's right, the real one.
This one before him was undoubtedly a fake.
Setting aside the fact that he hadn't brought Nijika into this Samsara Game, so how could one suddenly appear.
Just by looking at her provocative outfit, worn without a hint of shame, her slightly bewitching smile, and the complete absence of a countdown timer above her head, he could be certain.
"Why aren't you talking?" Seeing Fumiya Jin remain silent, the girl seemed quite dissatisfied.
She pouted and moved right up to him, leaning into his arms. Then, she actually stuck out her tongue and began licking his earlobe... The cool, soft, and moist sensation sent a slight shiver through him. At the same time, Fumiya Jin could feel two heavy, soft mounds pressing against his chest...
He couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Heh.
Impersonating my angel, yet so careless with the details.
Does Nijika have this much weight?
No way.
However, Fumiya Jin didn't act rashly.
After all, he still didn't know the instance's rules, nor did he know if this was an illusion or something else.
If he were to slash at it with his sword and get killed by the rules, or discover he had actually struck a teammate hidden beneath the illusion, that would be troublesome.
Especially since he had just heard the game notification that, as a high-level player, he was being penalized and would be more susceptible to mental attacks... he had to be even more cautious.
"Ngh..." A soft moan came from the sofa. "Huh... Th-This is..." [Welcome to the Samsara Game. A new game is about to begin.]
A sinister notification sound echoed.
[Instance Name: Blood-Colored Apartment.]
[Clear Condition: Escape the apartment.]
[Instance Tips:] [1. Do not respond, do not make noise, do not start a fire.] [2. Aside from the main door on the second floor, the apartment has no other exits.] [The game... has officially begun.]
The notification ended. His ability to move was restored. Fumiya Jin pondered for a moment, and then... He shot to his feet!
The "Nijika" on him was thrown off at once. She fell onto the floor, illuminated by the rose-colored moonlight. But...
The expected hiss or cry of pain never came. The moment she hit the ground, she melted like chocolate, sinking into the red moonlight on the floor and vanishing in an instant.
It was as if she had never been there at all.
Fumiya Jin watched her disappear, lost in thought.
Two seconds later, he turned his head and looked at the sofa.
There, Kei Shirogane was lying on the main sofa, pushing herself up with a dazed expression. "Fumiya-san?" Hearing the noise, she turned her head and saw Fumiya Jin, who had just stood up, and let out a small sigh of relief. "Where is this?"
Fumiya Jin glanced at her, but his expression suddenly turned grave.
He quickly walked around the sofa from back to front, came before the girl, and said, "Kei-chan, listen to me. From now on, do not answer any voice you hear except for mine, understand?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Kei Shirogane was completely bewildered by the current situation and had no idea what Fumiya Jin was trying to say.
"Just promise me first. No matter who you hear calling you, other than me, don't answer. Okay?" Fumiya Jin repeated himself, reaching out and taking one of her hands. "Trust me, this is important. You have to promise me first before I can explain anything else."
"Oh..." Feeling the warmth from Fumiya Jin's hand and seeing his rare, serious expression, Kei Shirogane hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, I promise."
And just about two seconds after she said that... "Kei?" A familiar, lazy voice suddenly came from behind the sofa, making Kei Shirogane shudder. Dad?Didn't he go on a business trip?Why is he back so suddenly? Kei Shirogane almost answered out of instinct.
But Fumiya Jin's earlier words, his sharp gaze at that moment, and the suddenly increased pressure from his hand... all snapped Kei Shirogane back to her senses. The sound was forcefully choked back just as it was about to leave her throat.
"Kei, you're there, right? Why aren't you answering?" her father's voice continued.
Kei Shirogane still didn't answer.
Looking at Fumiya Jin's serious expression and listening to her father's somewhat strange voice... she faintly realized something.
This place is definitely not normal!
"Kei-chan, you don't need to speak. Just listen to me from now on."
Fumiya Jin watched the numbers above the girl's head, which had been close to zero, extend significantly, and finally let out a small sigh of relief. He had been prepared just now; if she couldn't hold back, he might have had to forcibly cover her mouth or even knock her out.
"We've been pulled into a supernatural game called the Samsara Game. You should have heard the system's rules just now. In this game, all sorts of strange and monstrous things exist, just like the voice you're hearing right now." Fumiya Jin looked into the girl's eyes and said, "If we can successfully clear this game, we can leave here and return to reality. But if we break the rules, or die in this game... then we're really dead."
Hearing this explanation, Kei Shirogane's clear, watery eyes widened.
A game... where you can die?
_____
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