The afternoon sun cast long, stretching shadows across the pavement as Yuuki Asuna and Asagiri walked side-by-side toward the train station near Shuchiin Academy.
The usual chatter of departing students faded into the background.
Asuna slowed her pace, her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her skirt.
“Is there anything else we need to prepare?” she asked, her voice dropping to a soft murmur.
Asagiri didn’t break his stride.
“There’s nothing really to prepare,” he replied, his tone entirely flat.
“The App’s rules explicitly state that no real-world items, equipment, armor, or tools are permitted inside.
Considering this App and its so-called dungeons operate on genuine supernatural principles, the chances of successfully exploiting a bug are negligible.
Not absolutely zero, but close enough that it isn’t worth wasting our time.”
“Mm, I see…”
Asuna nodded.
She stopped walking, but she didn’t turn to leave.
She just stood there on the pavement, the picture of hesitation.
She looked like she wanted to say something, swallowing her words in a display of sheer awkwardness.
Asagiri paused a few steps ahead, glancing back.
He read her completely transparent thoughts in a fraction of a second.
A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
“Since we’re teammates, it’s best if we stick together before entering the second dungeon, right?”
“Yes, I just…”
Asuna caught the teasing glint in his eyes and choked on the rest of her sentence.
A sudden flush of embarrassment painted her cheeks.
She quickly ducked her head, kicking a loose pebble across the concrete to feign composure.
“You…
since you brought it up, and you’re the Leader, I’ll just follow your orders…”
“Yuuki.”
She blinked, looking up.
“Mm?
What is it?”
“Tsundere is an outdated trope.”
“I—who’s acting like a tsundere with you!?”
“A textbook tsundere response.”
Asuna’s pretty face burned a shade darker.
She felt a mix of intense shyness and exasperation at being read so easily.
Letting out a soft, indignant snort, she reached up to smooth her long, flaxen hair.
She took a deep, steadying breath, gathering her courage.
“Then…
should we go to your place…
or come to mine?”
Asagiri narrowed his eyes, tilting his head with a perfectly manufactured look of utter confusion.
“Huh?
Are you being serious right now?” Asuna’s brows knitted together in frustration.
She crossed her arms, adopting a patient, lecturing tone.
“You aren’t actually thinking we should just hang around a cafe, an internet cafe, or a library until the countdown finishes, are you?”
He offered no response, prompting her to continue.
“Leaving aside the fact that loitering in public places for hours draws unwanted attention, we have to ensure our entry point is absolutely private and secure.
If someone sees us vanish into thin air and reappear hours later, our identities as Players will be instantly exposed.”
She tapped her chin, her analytical side taking over.
“And what if someone figures out our return point while we’re inside the dungeon?
They could set up an ambush, just waiting for us to materialize so they can launch a surprise attack.
In short, only our private residences are suitable to serve as anchor points.”
“Wait a minute…”
Asuna suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing as suspicion crept across her face.
She stared intently at Asagiri’s calm, unbothered expression.
“How could you possibly not have thought of something so basic?
Are you testing me again?”
Asagiri smiled, giving a slight nod.
“Part of it was a test, yes.”
“Part of it?” Asuna pressed, stepping closer.
“Does that mean there’s another reason?”
Asagiri looked dead into her eyes, his expression shifting into one of grave, absolute seriousness.
“I’m worried that you’re going to use this dungeon run as an excuse to get into my apartment and plot against me.”
“Plot against you, my foot…” Asuna rolled her eyes, letting out an irritated sigh.
Remembering the bizarre warnings Fujiwara Chika had whispered to her back in the classroom, Asuna felt a wave of utter speechlessness.
Sure, Asagiri possessed an undeniably handsome face, but she knew his true nature now.
She couldn’t associate him with the image of a normal, attractive Tokyo high schooler anymore.
If she had to define him…
The Shibuya Chainsaw Devil.
A psychic capable of summoning grotesque black phantoms on a whim.
A monster devoid of fear or pity.
A Player who purely, sickeningly enjoyed the thrill of the slaughter.
Standing next to those terrifying labels, a pretty face wasn’t even worth mentioning.
“Come to my place.” Asagiri dropped the teasing, his demeanor shifting instantly into the cold, calculating focus of a Player preparing for a death game.
“If your parents suddenly decide to drop by for a weekend visit and catch us vanishing or appearing out of thin air, it would be a nightmare to explain.
My place is safer.”
Asuna blinked, her curiosity piqued.
“But couldn’t your parents suddenly drop by too?” She only knew that he lived alone in the bustling district of Shibuya; she had zero clue about his family situation.
“Heh.
If something like that actually happened, we wouldn’t need an explanation.
We’d need to call a professional exorcist.”
The train ride passed in a blur of city lights, and soon they arrived at Asagiri’s apartment in the bustling heart of Shibuya.
Stepping inside, Asuna felt a sudden, acute spike of unease.
The reality of the situation finally set in.
This was her first time ever visiting a boy’s home, and right now, the heavy front door had just clicked shut, leaving only the two of them alone in the quiet space.
She took a seat on the edge of the living room sofa, carefully smoothing out the creases in her uniform skirt.
Unzipping her shoulder bag, she pulled out a fresh set of sportswear, folded it with careful care, and set it neatly beside her.
With nothing else to occupy her hands, her eyes began to wander.
She couldn’t help but curiously inspect the layout and furnishings of the room.
She wanted to know how a psycho like Asagiri—a ruthless Player and a Shuchiin genius—actually lived his day-to-day life.
“Yuuki-san, please don’t stare at my TV with the eyes of a pervert, okay?”
Asuna snapped out of her trance, her shoulders jumping slightly.
She nodded, thoroughly flustered.
“Oh, right, sorry, I was just thinking about…
Wait, who are you calling a pervert!?”
“See?
Getting flustered again.”
Asagiri walked over to the refrigerator in the open kitchen.
He pulled out a frosted can of Coca-Cola, cracked the tab with a sharp hiss, and took a long, unapologetic gulp.
Lowering the can, he looked over at Asuna, who was sitting stiffly on the sofa, and smiled.
“What do you want to drink?”
“Mineral water is fine, thank you.”
“Alright.
Catch.”
A plastic bottle sailed through the air.
Asuna caught it cleanly, twisted off the cap, and took a small, polite sip.
The cool water helped soothe her lingering nerves.
Feeling a bit more grounded, she looked at Asagiri, who had just dropped into a single-seater sofa opposite her, and decided to break the silence.
“Oh, right.
Last night, I suddenly remembered the documents we found in Mount Massive Asylum during the last trial,” she said, her tone shifting to business.
“I ran a search online for ‘Mount Massive Asylum’and the name’Chris Walker’.
It turns out that both the location and that specific patient are ripped straight from an old horror game called Outlast.”
[Inorin’s Note:
Hey guys, hope you’re enjoying the novel!
Hate waiting for updates and cliffhangers?