Chapter 242: Everyone is a master of committing suicide
The group quickly arrived at the agreed-upon cinema.
On the side of the road, a girl wearing oversized black-framed glasses, a wig, and fake bangs was waving energetically.
It was Hayasaka.
Amamiya glanced at her and asked, "Why are you dressed like this?"
Naturally, it was to avoid being recognized by her young miss.
As a spy, stealth was second nature. The time to reveal her true identity hadn't come yet.
Noticing the others turning their attention toward her, Hayasaka lowered her gaze to her toes, placed her fingers against her throat, and feigned a different voice. "For... reasons, I dress like this at school," she said awkwardly.
Umi clenched her fists in indignation. "Hanamori-chan, is someone bullying you?" she exclaimed. "Once we finish clearing the dungeon, Amamiya-kun and I will head to your school and set things straight!"
As a teammate who had braved the "Ghost Ship Hide and Seek" mission together, Umi held the spy maid in high regard.
"Thank you, Umi-senpai, but it's all in the past." Hayasaka shook her head and skillfully changed the subject. "...By the way, Umi-senpai, your outfit is gorgeous."
"Isn't it?" The succubus girl placed her hands on her hips, beaming with pride. "This is my favorite dream demon cosplay."
"I messaged you about this before, but you said you were busy."
"If you're ever free, come hang out with me. I'll even have Amamiya-kun copy some of his abilities for you."
"…"
The lively gyaru never held back, always saying exactly what was on her mind.
"It's about time," Kaguya noted softly, glancing at her phone.
When the light turned green, Amamiya led the group across the street. "Let's just hope we don't run into the Fire Cloud Evil God's accomplice," he muttered.
"Huh?" Chika blinked in confusion. "Isn't this the kind of thing you 'shouldn't' say out loud?"
Amamiya glanced at her, his expression unreadable, and then blinked once.
"Ohhh," Chika nodded in understanding. "Got it."
This was classic reverse flagging!
—
[You have entered the game area. Matching with other players. Please wait…]
[Reminder: The game is about to begin. Please choose your position and fix your body.]
"Let's pick a movie with a smaller audience," suggested Kaguya. "We can sit in peace."
"There are so many movies showing today!" Chika added. "Which one should we pick?"
Amamiya shrugged. "Just choose one with a light turnout. Since we're already here, we might as well help out the director. You never know, there could be some poor director sneaking in, disguised, to watch their own movie. Imagine if no one showed up—it'd be tragic."
Umi placed a hand on her hip. "As if we care about the director. The real reason is that fewer people mean no disturbances."
Without further ado, the group selected an artsy, indie film on the brink of release. They bought tickets, entered the theater, and settled into an isolated corner, almost as if they were genuinely there to watch a movie.
---
Seats were assigned at random, and Sajuna happened to be seated to Amamiya's left.
The pink-haired girl hesitated for a moment, pursed her lips, and extended a slender finger to gently poke Amamiya's arm.
"What's wrong?" Amamiya turned to her.
"Well…" Sajuna leaned in closer, her voice a soft whisper in his ear. "What if we suddenly disappear from the theater and someone notices?"
While no one had been questioned by the authorities yet, the possibility of being caught was always looming.
Better to be prepared than sorry.
Amamiya glanced at the pink-haired girl and whispered,
"Did you even read the terms of the game?"
"Eh?" JuJu blinked in confusion. "Terms of the game?"
"Have you ever played mobile games before?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Then you'd know every game comes with a clause or agreement, right? It covers things like identity exposure." Amamiya spoke in a hushed tone. "Though, let's be honest—99% of players just scroll to the bottom and hit 'agree.'"
Sajuna's eyes widened. "Are you telling me horror games also have terms of agreement?"
"Of course," Amamiya replied matter-of-factly. "Since it's a game, it's only natural. This one specifically mentions that, thanks to a force majeure known as 'harmony,' players are protected from being discovered by any 'relevant departments.'"
"Hmm…" Sajuna blinked, not fully understanding but nodding anyway. "That does sound kind of impressive."
"In short," Amamiya concluded, "as long as we focus on completing the game, we don't have to worry about being exposed—for now. But bear in mind, this protection applies only to external authorities, not to interactions between players."
At that moment, a new system notification sounded.
[All players have confirmed. The game is about to begin.]
"It's time."
The group grew serious, focusing their attention as they prepared for what lay ahead.
---
[The game is loading…]
[Loading complete.]
Amamiya experienced a brief wave of dizziness before his surroundings abruptly shifted.
The familiar movie theater vanished, replaced by a dim, unfamiliar room.
"Amamiya?"
A soft, nervous whisper broke the silence.
Turning his head, he saw a petite girl kneeling beside him. She was dressed in what appeared to be a magical girl's uniform, her anxious expression suggesting she was trying to get closer to him.
"Don't move," Amamiya commanded in a low voice.
"Huh?"
"Let's exchange the secret code first."
"…?"
Sajuna was momentarily startled but quickly remembered their prearranged protocol. She straightened up and nodded. "Okay, go ahead."
"Odd changes but even doesn't?" Amamiya prompted.
Her eyes lit up, and she responded without hesitation, "Look at the quadrant for the symbol!"
"Tsk," Amamiya sighed in mock disappointment. "So, it's the real Sajuna-san. If it were fake…"
"What would you do if I were fake?" she demanded, puffing up indignantly as she clenched her fists.
The tension eased as Sajuna's irritation lightened the mood.
Scooting closer to Amamiya, Sajuna whispered, "It seems like it's just the two of us. Umi-chan, Chika-chan, and the others are gone."
"It's obvious," Amamiya replied calmly. "The scene must have been randomized again."
This wasn't their first experience with such situations. Their prior combat meetings had always stressed the same thing—regrouping was their top priority. The larger the team, the safer they were.
"Let's check the main mission first," Amamiya suggested.
Sajuna nodded quickly. "Right."
They both opened the game panel, and the main mission materialized in front of them.
---
[Welcome to the Horror Cinema]
[As supernatural enthusiasts, you've been invited to document the ghostly legends of a mysterious town as part of a cinema evaluation...]
[The higher the score for your documentary, the greater the rewards. You initially agreed to split up to explore and capture your own ghost stories.]
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. 'Splitting up in a horror game? That's just asking for trouble.'
[This ghost town, once a flourishing community, now lies desolate, eroded by time. Hidden within are countless chilling tales waiting to be uncovered.]
"Hmm. The stakes just got real," Amamiya muttered, continuing to scan the details.
[Main Quest: Create a high-quality ghost story documentary. Compete with other players to achieve the highest score and win grand rewards.]
[Mission duration: 48 hours.]
[To enhance viewership, live narration will be provided for the audience's enjoyment.]
[For any issues, please contact the Horror Cinema hotline at 4444444.]
After finishing, Amamiya sighed. The mission seemed straightforward, but the live narration feature left him scratching his head.
"Sajuna-san," he said, turning to her. "What does your mission say?"
Sajuna nodded and relayed her mission details.
"Exactly the same," Amamiya murmured. "We were supposed to split up. Why are we together?"
Sajunaa tilted her head, puzzled. "I… I don't know."
"Could it be that the game paired us as a couple?" Amamiya teased.
Sajuna's cheeks flushed red, and she protested loudly, "Of course not!"
"Fair enough," Amamiya said, nodding. "A brother-sister team seems more plausible."
Sajuna puffed out her cheeks in frustration. "I'm older than you, okay?!"
"…"
"Let's focus on completing this mission," Amamiya said, shifting the conversation. "We'll figure out the rest later."
The room they'd appeared in was the setting of their first ghost story.
[Current Ghost Story: The Haunted House]
[A seemingly ordinary apartment turned haunted. Many who've entered have disappeared without a trace. Your task: document its dark secrets.]
"Well, this must be the haunted house," Amamiya remarked, scanning the eerie room. "I wonder if it's like a black hole for trash—if it only lets garbage in but never out, that'd be a groundbreaking discovery."
Sajuna's face turned pale as she nervously pointed to Amamiya's shoulder.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"There's… a hand…"
Amamiya glanced down and saw a pitch-black, charred hand resting on his shoulder. Its sharp nails gleamed menacingly in the dim light.
"Yep, I see it."
"Wh-what should we do?!" Sajuna stammered, resisting the urge to flee.
"Don't move," Amamiya ordered calmly.
Suppressing her panic, Sajuna froze in place, biting her lip.
With a steady hand, Amamiya grasped the ghostly appendage, observing its texture and form. After a moment of examination, he concluded, "Judging by the size and feel, this belongs to a girl—or a female ghost."