Chapter 247: I will teach you now
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Sajuna crossed her arms, her sharp mind quickly deducing the game's devious intentions.
Even the most innocent high school girl understands that human nature falters under scrutiny.
While ordinary items might be inconsequential, the cursed videotape lying before them was no ordinary object—it was the key to survival. Such stakes could easily turn even the closest of friends into adversaries.
Humility is a virtue, yes.
But when one's life is at risk, virtue often gives way to survival instinct.
No one could predict the dangers hidden in the other ghost stories. The safest option was clear: secure the videotape and complete the task.
With this realization, Sajuna pressed her lips together, took a cautious half-step back from the tape, and voiced her stance softly:
"Amamiya-kun, you should be the one to submit the videotape."
She knew her role—or lack thereof. Escaping the haunted house was a stroke of luck; she had contributed little. From any angle, she had no right to claim this videotape.
Amamiya bent down, picking up the videotape at his feet. Its cover showed the eerie interior of a haunted apartment: a scorched ghost woman standing ominously in a room, her face obscured by a paper bag.
"For you."
With a flick of his wrist, Amamiya tossed the videotape to Sajuna.
"Eh…?" Sajuna scrambled to catch it, her petite hands clutching the object as she looked up at him, bewildered. "Why are you giving this to me?"
Amamiya replied with disarming candor. "We're running an experiment."
"An experiment?"
"Once the videotape is submitted, the game might eject the person who submits it," Amamiya explained. "Since Umi and the others haven't returned yet, we'll have to test it using you."
"Wait, what...?"
Sajuna bit her lip, her gaze faltering. Surely no one would willingly volunteer for an experiment like this.
Amamiya fixed his eyes on her.
"Wait ten minutes. Submit the tape. Then tell us what happens next."
Taking a deep breath, Sajuna nodded, her expression firming into reluctant acceptance.
"Got it."
Behind them, the door to the haunted house clicked shut at some unknown point.
"Let's head downstairs," Amamiya said, taking the lead.
Clutching the videotape tightly, Sajuna followed in hurried steps.
The building they exited was an ordinary, decrepit two-story apartment. Whether other tenants resided there remained unclear, but Amamiya saw no one else as they descended.
The street outside was similarly barren—deserted and eerily silent.
The town itself seemed lifeless. Weeds choked the empty lots, and crumbling walls hinted at neglect. Time had long abandoned this place.
Above them, the setting sun burned blood-red, casting long, sinister shadows. A biting wind whistled through the desolation, stirring scraps of newspaper and dry grass that tumbled along the cracked pavement.
Sajuna shivered, shrinking into herself as she instinctively grabbed hold of one of Amamiya's fingers. Her voice dropped to a hushed whisper.
"What do we do now?"
"Find the others," Amamiya answered decisively. "First, Chika."
The ability to combat supernatural threats had already been spent. To replenish their strength, locating Chika was paramount.
Amamiya wiggled his little finger at a deliberate rhythm, causing the red rope connecting them to remain unbroken.
Seconds passed.
The pink hair girl signal arrived swiftly—it was safe for now.
However, the encoded message was simple: safety confirmed, but Chika's location remained a mystery.
"Where's Fujiwara-san?" Sajuna asked curiously.
Amamiya shook his head. "No idea."
"Huh?" Sajuna tilted her head, confused.
"It's a small town," Amamiya explained. "Without a phone, trying to find someone is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Sajuna's lips twitched with frustration. "Then what are you so confident about?"
Amamiya responded calmly, "There's one last method. But it looks like we won't be able to save it."
"What method?" Sajuna's curiosity piqued.
With a faint smile, Amamiya extended his right hand. Resting on his palm was a simple origami airplane, bearing Chika's name written neatly along its folds.
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[Item: Origami Airplane]
[Material: Life Paper]
[Attributes: A paper airplane crafted from enchanted life paper. Once thrown, it will unfailingly return to the owner's hand, regardless of distance. This airplane is impervious to interference, including extreme weather such as rain, fog, or snow. However, its use depletes all of its spiritual energy.]
[Note: "The paper airplane from my childhood has finally returned to me." (Caution: Reading this note may cause some individuals to lose their ability to articulate properly, rendering them capable of only humming.)]
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This seemingly inconspicuous prop had been acquired during the Midnight Mall mission, along with other items looted by nozamA's clearance service. Though initially underestimated, the airplane proved its worth when Kaguya recognized its true potential and claimed it without a word.
The origami airplane had a unique functionality: it required two users. One would fold the airplane and imbue it with ownership, while the other would carry and deploy it. Once thrown, the airplane acted as an adaptive tracking device, leading the user to their intended target.
Before the mission began, the team had voted to refold the airplane under Chika's name. Amamiya, however, remained its rightful owner.
Now, as Amamiya prepared to throw the airplane to track Chika, an eerie, disembodied narration interrupted:
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'(I am a food connoisseur, devoted to documenting strange meals and bizarre tales.)'
'(It's said that the Food Temple on the corner frequently welcomes peculiar guests. I arrived with high expectations but was underwhelmed—until I saw the back of a patron's head. She turned to look my way…)'
'(If I'm discovered, I'll be devoured. I mustn't let her find me hiding…)'
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Amamiya's little finger twitched violently. His brow furrowed.
Such rapid tremors conveyed one unmistakable message: danger.
The ominous narration and the sudden warning left no doubt in Amamiya's mind.
The "food connoisseur" in the narration was undoubtedly Chika, and the narrator's ominous tone hinted at malice. Worse, it was likely to betray her location.
This had to be stopped—but how?
The narration was intangible, untouchable, and its triggers were unknowable. Yet, as his mind raced, an idea sparked. Amamiya took a deep breath and, without hesitation, stretched out his right hand toward Sajuna.
Smack!
A sharp, resonant sound echoed through the air as Amamiya's palm landed squarely on Sajuna's lower back side.
"Ah!" Sajuna yelped, completely caught off guard. She spun around, her hands instinctively shielding her rear, her face flushing with a mix of shock and indignation.
"What are you doing!?"
Amamiya kept his composure and demanded firmly, "Hand over the videotape."
"Huh?" Sajuna blinked, startled.
Something was off.
Moments ago, Amamiya had entrusted her with the tape without hesitation. Why was he suddenly asking for it back?
If he didn't want her to have it, there had been no reason to go through the trouble of giving it to her in the first place.
"This Uncle is going to teach you a lesson right now," Amamiya declared, a dangerous smile playing across his lips. As he spoke, he casually closed his right eye. "Never trust others so easily."
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The void fell silent for a moment.
Then... the narration shifted.
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'(A petite, 1.5-meter-tall legal lolita escaped the haunted house alongside her companions. While basking in the joy of newfound freedom, she failed to notice her companion's sinister smile behind her.)'
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The narrator's voice seamlessly transitioned into a replay of Amamiya's earlier words.
'(This Uncle is going to teach you a lesson right now.)'
"Huh?" Sajuna froze, her eyes wide with disbelief.
This narration… why was it suddenly about her and Amamiya?
"It worked," Amamiya exhaled softly, his tone calm but satisfied.
He understood the nature of the narrator: it appeared only during significant "highlight moments," which typically involved danger, urgency, or an unexpected twist. By the narrator's judgment, his staged betrayal of Sajuna aligned perfectly with such a moment.
Thus, the narrator's focus shifted to them.
Sajuna blinked, piecing together the situation. While she didn't fully grasp Amamiya's intentions, it was clear he wasn't actually bullying her.
Amamiya took a step closer, his tone commanding.
"This Uncle wants to see you lift your skirt yourself."
Sajuna's cheeks flushed in alarm. What?! Was this going too far?
But then, she caught on. The key wasn't the mention of the skirt but the phrase 'This Uncle,' a codeword the group had used during their coordinated actions yesterday.
So, he wanted her to play along.
Sniffling theatrically, Sajuna let tears pool in her eyes and cried out:
"No! I won't hand it over, even if I have to destroy the videotape!"
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The narrator interjected at the perfect moment.
'(The defiant magical girl stood against the devil boy, unaware that the videotape could not be destroyed.)'
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As expected, the narrator deliberately revealed critical, dangerous information, its tone maliciously gleeful.
"Did you hear that?" Amamiya tightened his grip on Sajuna's wrist, his expression grim. "Turn around and lie down. This Uncle is going to teach you a lesson!"
Sajuna's face turned scarlet, her head snapping back in indignation. She bit her lip, trembling like a swan caught in a hunter's snare, her stance one of fierce defiance.
"If I'm forced to act," Amamiya threatened, his voice dropping an octave, "it won't stop at just a lesson."
What does he mean by 'more than just a lesson'?!
"Never! I'll never give in!" Sajuna shouted, clutching her chest with one hand and her skirt with the other.
"Don't wait until it's too late to regret it," Amamiya countered.
With that, he firmly flipped the "magical girl" over, pinning her to a nearby bench.
"The lesson begins now!"