After saying goodbye to Lin Ye, Tachibana Hina headed straight toward the tram stop at the intersection ahead.
It was late at night, and the breeze carried a slight chill. The seaside air of Chiba felt humid and heavy, prompting her to hug her clothes tightly in an attempt to stay warm.
"Lin ye seems to be a nice student—not as bad as Hiratsuka-senpai said."
She thought for a moment. "Maybe it's because of his amnesia."
With his memories of being naughty and playful seemingly erased, Lin Ye now displayed a kinder, more well-behaved nature. Tachibana Hina couldn't help but think that, perhaps, his amnesia was a blessing in disguise.
The tram station drew closer.
Tachibana Hina quickened her pace, the sharp taps of her high heels echoing against the smooth asphalt.
Suddenly, she sniffed the air.
"Is something… burning?"
The faint smell of something charred—like overcooked meat—reached her nose, pungent and unpleasant.
Her brows furrowed, but she didn't dwell on it.
"Maybe someone nearby is having a barbecue," she thought, quickening her steps.
However, after walking only a few steps more, a dark figure emerged under the glow of the streetlamp ahead.
The figure's shadow stretched unnaturally long, obscuring its features and making it impossible to see its face.
Instinctively, Hina slowed down and veered left, hoping to avoid crossing paths with it.
Though Japan's public safety was renowned, she understood that vigilance was always necessary—especially for a woman walking alone at night.
She reminded herself that despite Japan's reputation, bad people existed everywhere, and encountering one could lead to unthinkable consequences.
But just as she tried to sidestep the figure, it moved deliberately, blocking her path.
Her heart tightened. "This isn't normal—it can't be a coincidence."
Calming her nerves, she adjusted her pace and attempted to walk to the other side of the street.
The figure moved again, cutting her off.
This time, they were only fifteen meters apart.
A sense of unease gripped her. She reached into her bag with her right hand, gripping her phone tightly to prepare to call the police if needed.
The burnt smell in the air grew stronger, sharper, filling her senses with each breath.
As the figure began to advance stiffly, Hina stepped back cautiously. The closer it came, the more her instincts screamed at her to flee.
Deciding to speak up, she called out in a steady voice, "Excuse me, sir! Could you please stop blocking my path?"
When the figure didn't respond, she softened her tone. "If it's money you need, I can give you some."
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a 10,000-yen note featuring Fukuzawa Yukichi.
Even though her monthly salary as a new teacher at Sobu High School was only 200,000 yen, Hina didn't hesitate to sacrifice the money for her safety.
However, the figure remained motionless.
Trying to stay calm, she added, "My student is nearby. If you move, I'll call the police."
She held up her phone as if to emphasize her point.
Still, the figure didn't respond.
It was then that the streetlamp illuminated the figure's face.
What she saw froze her in place.
The figure's face was grotesque, its surface cracked and blackened like charcoal. Dark red liquid oozed from the fissures, blending with exposed flesh and blood.
Her mind blanked as her eyes widened in terror.
From the figure came a chilling mutter:
"It hurts…"
"So… hot…"
The smell of burning intensified, assaulting her senses.
"A monster!"
Hina's body jolted into action as she finally understood the danger.
"Ahhh!" she screamed uncontrollably, the sound escaping her in sheer panic.
She spun around to flee, but a hand gripped her shoulder before she could take a step.
Thrown off balance, she stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ugh…" she groaned, trying to scramble away.
But her legs felt weak—so weak that no matter how hard she kicked, she couldn't gain any distance.
Despair crept in. "It's over… It's all over."
The figure advanced, its expression growing more twisted and malicious.
Its eyes bulged grotesquely, like a dead fish's, and its face split open further, revealing raw, bright red flesh beneath.
"Burn…" it hissed before lunging forward.
Hina shut her eyes tight, screaming as she braced for the worst.
Yet, instead of the searing pain she feared, a familiar voice broke through the chaos.
"Teacher!"
Opening her eyes hesitantly, she saw someone standing in front of her.
"Lin… Lin Ye?"
"Get up. We're leaving—now," Lin Ye said, his voice steady but firm as he helped the terrified teacher to her feet.
Unbeknownst to her, Lin Ye had heard her scream and activated a time-stopping ability to rush to her aid. Had he been even a dozen seconds later, Hina might be already dead.
Lin Ye quickly pulled Hina to safety, ensuring the female teacher stayed far from the strange entity. Once she was at a safe distance, he turned his focus to observing the creature.
This creature was markedly different from the one he encountered at the Love Hotel. Unlike the black-and-gray infection symptoms of the female receptionist, the being before him had a face resembling a burnt corpse. Its surface was covered with patches of charcoal, with vivid red flesh visible in the cracks, and a viscous liquid oozing from them.
Lin Ye picked up a few stones from the street and hurled them at the creature with precision and force. The hard stones struck its head repeatedly within seconds. However, Lin Ye wasn't sure if physical attacks would have any effect. He recalled how the female receptionist at the hotel had been almost impervious to such damage.
"This way, teacher," Lin Ye said after helping Hina to her feet.
Grabbing her hand, he urged her to flee.
Even now, he hadn't heard the "Strange Game" notification indicating that the task was complete. That meant the creature wasn't dead and was still active.
After running about 20 meters, Lin Ye glanced back and saw the creature, now upright, staggering to its feet. Illuminated by the streetlights, its body seemed to emit a faint blue glow.
It began to move again—and this time, it was faster.
"Lin… Lin, what is that?" Hina asked breathlessly. Though she tried to look back, her fear stopped her from fully turning around. Just the sight of the figure made her heart pound violently.
"A monster," Lin Ye replied. "We need to keep moving."
He could think of ways to deal with the creature on his own, but Hina's safety came first. She needed to get as far away as possible.
"Y-yes," she stammered, nodding vigorously as she clung to Lin Ye's hand, terrified of being left behind.
Despite being a college graduate and now a high school teacher, the raw fear and terror of the situation overwhelmed her instincts. She had no idea how to handle such danger and sought only a safe haven.
At that moment, Lin Ye became her anchor of safety.
"Huff… huff…"
"Here… this should be safe," Lin Ye said after they had run for over a minute.
Hina bent over, hands on her abdomen, gasping for breath. It had been a long time since she'd exerted herself like this, and she felt as if she might throw up everything she'd eaten that evening.
She glanced nervously behind them and sighed with relief. The figure was nowhere in sight.
"It's gone. Thank goodness… Let's call the police right away," she said, pulling out her phone with trembling hands. But as she tried to make the call, she noticed something was wrong.
"Why… why isn't there any signal?" she muttered, panic rising in her voice. "This is Chiba City—this shouldn't happen!"
It wasn't a remote mountain area, so there was no reason for her phone to lose reception. Yet, the signal indicator showed zero bars.
"Is my phone broken?" she wondered aloud, tapping it in frustration.
Lin Ye's attention shifted to a vending machine nearby. Beside it lay a discarded beverage bottle, nestled against a trash can.
His heart sank. If he remembered correctly, this vending machine had been behind them when they ran.
Turning around to confirm, Lin Ye saw only an endless street stretching into the distance. The streetlights cast their faint glow, but there was no sign of the tram station that should have been nearby.
He exhaled sharply, realizing the grim truth. Tasks tied to the "Strange Game" in the real world were rarely straightforward.
"Student Lin, what's wrong? Aren't we safe now?" Hina asked, noticing the change in his demeanor.
Lin Ye pointed to the vending machine.
"Teacher, unless I'm mistaken, that vending machine was behind us earlier. Now it's in front of us."
"Maybe… maybe it's just another vending machine that looks the same," Hina suggested hesitantly. The designs were often identical, so it wasn't unreasonable to think she might have made a mistake.
"Did you notice, though? There's no one around. No cars. Not even the sound of insects or birds."
That was true.
As Hina took in her surroundings, she realized how unnaturally silent it was. The stillness sent chills down her spine.
"Maybe it's just because it's so late at night…" she murmured, unwilling to fully accept Lin Ye's explanation.
"Either way, let's keep moving forward. There might be someone up ahead," she said, her breath steadier now after the brief rest.
Lin Ye didn't object and accompanied her forward. As they walked, he decided to mark a telephone pole to track their progress.
Hina quickly understood his intent.
"There's someone ahead!" she exclaimed moments later, her voice tinged with hope as she spotted a bright light in the distance.
She quickened her pace, but as the figure came into focus, her expression froze in horror.
It was the same monster—waiting for them up ahead.