Takai-san seemed to be following him.
"Would you give it a rest already?" Hotaka sighed at the creature that followed him. He could hear the CRUNCH. CRUNCH. Sound of the tall ghoul's footsteps. "This crush of yours can only go so far you know? I keep telling you I'm not interested!"
"Ur. Ur." Takai-san insisted.
"Yes, yes, I understand your undying love for me. Well, where I'm going soon not even you will be able to follow me."
". . ."
Takai-san pressed its face against the glass. Hotaka had already cleaned that area so he wasn't worried.
"Urrr…." Takai-san stared unblinkingly.
Sighing, Hotaka shrugged his shoulders.
TMP. TMP. TMP.
As soon as Hotaka descended the stairs and disappeared from sight he heard the thing run away. The sound was followed by a crash. Hotaka paused. Fear seized him for a split second. Had Takai-san run ahead to the part he hadn't yet cleaned to infiltrate the mansion?
"I see, he was watching me to see what I was doing...Well, now I feel stupid." Well, if he was trying to get to him it wouldn't work anyway since the barrier would still be there...maybe. He only made assumptions.
Hotaka turned on the light into the basement quickly mopping the floor on his way to the cleaning cart. He retreated back up the stairs, sighing in relief when nothing happened. He loaded his cleaning supplies onto the cart and proceeded down the new path. Whether or not there were ghouls lurking inside of any of the rooms, he didn't know and it wouldn't matter with his barrier. Very soon, his ward would be summoned as well.
The percentage on the screen was 15%
By this time he had nearly finished making his rounds around the house, to imprison any stray ghouls before securing the house's heart.
At 89% he was pretty much complete with the entire main building. It would be pointless to worry about the upper rooms so he made his way to the old ballroom refurbished into a library/piano room.
90%
Hotaka stood at the double doors to the entrance of the room. He didn't have a chance to think of it before but what did this game have to do with Katashi's disappearance? The game said he was a special guest.
91%
Hotaka pushed open the doors. As he did the thought suddenly occurred to him.
Did his Grand Uncle Katashi finally go through with making his own video game? Or was this just a joint collaboration with his old game developer buddies?
He had heard glass shattering close by but he didn't see Takai-san.
93%
Hotaka entered the room with the cart and closed the door behind him. The room was empty.
A cylinder shaped tank containing a large piece of blue crystal had been mounted in the wall behind the piano.
"That's new…" Hotaka stepped towards the tank.
95%
His gaze was glued to the crystal tank and not the broken window.
"Ur."
"!" Hotaka looked around the room for the sound only to see no one.
"That was definitely Takai-san's voice…" Fear settled inside Hotaka, the second he looked up Takai-san was on him.
97%