Natsuki grinned. "Kaguya, please let me keep clinging to you for dear life."
Chika chimed in, "Yeah, we're totally riding your coattails!"
Kaguya crossed her arms, exasperated. "Both of you, zip it."
From the art room to the pool to the infirmary, cat-eared Kaguya became unstoppable. Their reputation spread through Ghost Academy like wildfire.
When the school posted wanted notices, vengeful spirits scattered instead of attacking. "She's coming! With the dean!"
Watching a ghost cower in the infirmary, Chika mumbled, "It feels like we're bullying them."
"More like we're the fox using the tiger's might," Natsuki corrected. "But honestly, how does it feel?"
Chika's eyes lit up. "Kaguya-chan, our eternal goddess!"
Natsuki nodded. "Kaguya, divine savior."
"Shut it, you two," Kaguya glared, arms crossed.
The dean's eyes flashed red. Without prompting, Kaguya knew what to do.
"Meow~"
The dean calmed, satisfied.
Suddenly, a game notice popped up for all players:
[ATTENTION ALL PLAYERS]
[Players "The Evil of This World," "Cancer of the Earth," and "Cat Girl Kaguya" have cleared all stages, achieving the game's best record. Multiple scenes are now broken, key characters are missing, and numerous vengeful students require counseling.]
[Analyzing data...]
[Ghost Academy will close. Reopening TBD.]
[All players will exit in 10 seconds. Prepare for departure.] [10, 9, 8, 7...]
Other players who had been struggling to survive were stunned.
"What the hell?"
"I barely cleared the first stage, and someone beat the whole game?"
"Seven stages total? Did these vengeful spirits just roll over for them?"
"Just look at their names. They're big shots... No, they're the Big Three!"
"One Piece has three admirals, so three top players in a ghost game makes sense, right?"
"That cat girl player seemed... off somehow."
As the chatter continued, the countdown ended. Natsuki's vision blurred for a moment.
Suddenly, they were back on their sunny campus. A gentle breeze carried cherry blossoms through the air. Girls in short skirts walked by, laughing brightly – a far cry from the gloomy Ghost Academy.
"Hmm..." Chika rubbed her temples, shaking her head. "Kaguya-chan, good morning~ I just had the weirdest dream. The three of us were exploring a school full of ghosts."
Natsuki and Kaguya stared at her silently.
"Eh?" Chika blinked. "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"That wasn't a dream," Kaguya said calmly.
"No way! Our clothes are clean. We obviously haven't been anywhere... Are you two pranking me?"
Natsuki paused, then declared, "Kaguya, our eternal goddess."
Kaguya's lip twitched slightly. (It's mascot, you idiot!)
"Wait, seriously? Everything that just happened was real?" Chika's eyes went wide.
"Listen..." Kaguya sighed, massaging her forehead. She explained everything that had transpired since the previous night.
"I see," Chika calmed down, eyes sparkling. "Kaguya-chan had quite the mysterious adventure!"
"It wasn't fun at all," Kaguya said coldly.
Chika tilted her head. "But you don't seem scared at all, Kaguya-chan."
Natsuki's eyes flicked to the top of Kaguya's head. A line of text appeared:
[So scary, so scary, so scary... I never want to experience anything like that again!]
"I'm heading to class," Natsuki murmured, ready to leave. They were by the shoe lockers, and curious eyes were already turning their way.
"Let's go," Kaguya said coolly, crossing her arms and heading upstairs.
"Wait up, Kaguya-chan!" Chika hurried after her.
Natsuki followed a few steps behind, lost in thought.
(Sixteen years of normal life, and suddenly I've unlocked hell mode. Great.)
He knew now that clearing one horror game didn't mean it was over. Players were forced to participate regularly, with no end in sight.
(My old plan was simple: study hard, get into a good university, maybe have a sweet romance... or two. The cool senior with black stockings, the cute underclassman... Both would be perfect! But now... staying alive is priority one.)
Natsuki opened his game panel:
[Game completed. Scroll for details]
[Player title: The Evil of the World - based on overall performance]
[Completed 7 side quests: 70 game coins earned]
[New mall items unlocked]
[Note: Multiple Wraith students have filed complaints. You are temporarily banned from Ghost Academy]
"Ghosts complaining about bullying. Talk about thick-skinned," Natsuki muttered.
He checked the game mall. A new item caught his eye:
[Today's attribute: Endurance]
[Cost: 50 game coins]
[Description: Permanent endurance boost]
[Note: As we all know, endurance is most useful in married life... assuming you have a wife or girlfriend first]
Natsuki scowled. (Low blow! What's wrong with being single?)
Suddenly, a panicked cry rang out. Natsuki looked up to see Chika trip on thin air. Before he could react, everything went black.
"Teacher! Fujiwara just hit someone with a ball!"
As Natsuki's vision cleared, he found himself sprawled on the stairs, a dull ache spreading across his forehead. Chika was hovering over him, her face a mix of concern and embarrassment.
"Oh no! Natsuki-kun, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Chika fretted, her hands fluttering nervously.
Kaguya stood a few steps above, her cool facade cracking slightly as she peered down at him. "Amamiya-kun, can you stand?"
Natsuki sat up slowly, rubbing his head. "I'm fine, just a bit dizzy. What happened?"
A small crowd had gathered, whispering and pointing. One student piped up, "Fujiwara-san tripped and fell backwards. You caught her, but then you both went down."
"Ah, my hero!" Chika beamed, then quickly sobered. "But also my victim. I'm really sorry!"
Natsuki stood carefully, steadying himself against the wall. As he did, he noticed a new notification blinking in the corner of his vision:
[Unexpected event triggered: "Damsel in Distress"]
[Reward: +5 Charm, +10 game coins]
[Note: Chivalry isn't dead, but it might give you a concussion]
He couldn't help but chuckle, despite the throbbing in his head. "Don't worry about it, Fujiwara-san. Accidents happen."
As they made their way to the nurse's office, Natsuki couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of a very strange school year.