Natsuki frowned, looking at the girls around him. Something was off about their body temperatures.
"Hey, I'm Izumi," a random teammate piped up. "Don't I deserve a name too?"
Kaguya covered her skirt with one hand, kneeling slightly with a frown. "I feel... really cold."
"You're right!" Chika exclaimed, touching Kaguya's arm. "Like ice!"
That's a bit dramatic, Natsuki thought. Not quite ice-cold, but definitely weird. The girls said they'd only left their room a few minutes ago - ten at most. It shouldn't be possible for their bodies to cool down this fast.
Rikka's eyes gleamed as she whispered, "Could it be a witch that sucks out people's life force and calories?"
"You mean a succubus," Natsuki muttered under his breath.
The unnamed girl shook her head. "It's just us here. No monsters in sight."
"Maybe the witch can turn invisible," Rikka insisted.
Great, Natsuki thought. Next thing you know, we'll have superheroes popping up.
Yukino crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. "What if... it's related to the game countdown?"
The air grew thick with tension. Everyone knew about the countdown for their main quests. It could mean survival - last until it ends, and you're free. Or... well, no one wanted to consider the alternative.
Now that Yukino had brought it up, the others nervously checked their timers. Most had about an hour left. Thanks to some badge item, Natsuki had a bit longer - nearly two hours.
If they wanted to know if it was truly a death countdown, they'd have to wait and see what happened when the second-to-last person's timer hit zero. And that person was...
Natsuki's eyes landed on Kaguya. She was the second-to-last, with barely any lead on the others.
"How much time do you have left?" he asked quietly.
Kaguya bit her lip. "Fifty-three minutes."
"That's so soon!" Chika gasped. "Natsuki, can't you give Kaguya more time?"
It sounded ridiculous, like topping up time at an internet cafe. But he knew he had to help. If it was anyone else, Natsuki might have waited to see what would happen. But he couldn't risk Kaguya's safety.
"Give me your hand," he said simply, reaching out to her.
"Um." Kaguya's lips pursed slightly as she extended her hand, trying to maintain her composure.
As Natsuki took her hand, he couldn't help but notice how soft and delicate it felt. Kaguya's face remained cool and collected, but a blush rapidly spread across her cheeks, even reaching the tips of her ears.
Natsuki thought to himself, "Aren't you supposed to be the ice-cold Kaguya? It's just hand-holding..."
"How's the countdown now?" he asked.
Kaguya took a quiet breath before replying nonchalantly, "It's slowly increasing."
"And now?" Natsuki let go of her hand.
"The increase stopped," Kaguya said quickly. "It's decreasing again... quite fast."
"Let's try once more," Natsuki said, taking her hand again.
After a few more tests, Natsuki reached a conclusion. The "renewal" effect was simple - physical contact increased the time, but once it stopped, the added time quickly disappeared.
Natsuki looked down at the puppet Billy. "When the housekeeper said 'time is running out,' did they mean the countdown?"
"Sorry, can't tell you that," Billy replied cryptically. "Please head to the restaurant soon for dinner."
"We're going to the library first," Natsuki decided.
"Huh?" Chika tilted her head. "What for?"
"To test a theory."
The group made their way to the second-floor library, leaving behind the cold-bodied Izumi girl. Natsuki felt a twinge of guilt, but pressed on.
As they entered the quiet library, Natsuki surveyed the ten rows of bookshelves. The books that had been burned earlier were just a fraction of what remained.
"Yukino, could you come here?" Natsuki called out.
Yukino looked confused. "Hmm?"
"I need to tell you something," Natsuki explained, then turned to Kaguya. "Kaguya, could you step away for a moment?"
Kaguya's eyes widened slightly. She thought to herself, "He's whispering with other girls and telling me to leave? That's too much!"
"I wonder what Natsuki and Yukino are talking about," Chika whispered, eyeing the pair in the corner. "I'm so curious!"
Kaguya crossed her arms, her voice cool and collected. "I'm not curious at all."
"I don't buy it," Chika teased, tilting her head. "If you weren't curious, why haven't you blinked once while staring at them?"
Kaguya fell silent, caught in her own lie.
Meanwhile, in the corner, Natsuki was explaining in hushed tones, "So that's the situation. We'll each check one angle."
Yukino nodded thoughtfully. "I see."
After a brief, quiet discussion, they separated and each selected a book from the shelves.
"Natsuki, what book did you pick?" Chika asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"It's a secret," Natsuki replied, hiding the book behind his back.
Chika raised her hand eagerly. "I can keep a secret!"
"Sorry, but no," Natsuki said firmly.
"That's mean," Chika pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "You don't trust me."
Just then, Yukino approached, also holding a book. "I've made my choice."
Natsuki nodded. "Let's go."
The group left the library and headed to the first-floor lobby. A light blue frost had crept over the entire hall, transforming the castle into a world of extreme cold.
Natsuki walked to the fireplace, where the previously burned books had long since turned to ash. Only a faint flame remained.
With a calm expression, Natsuki held out his book towards the fire.
"Hold on," the girl from the second floor interjected. "Those monsters in the castle seemed to appear when we burned books earlier. It's not even cold now, so do we really need to burn more books?"
Natsuki shrugged. "I've already burned so many, what's one more?"
The passerby girl fell silent, unable to argue with his logic.
After Natsuki finished burning his book, Yukino stepped forward and tossed hers into the fireplace as well. The flames quickly consumed both books.
"Oh, right," Chika suddenly piped up. "Where are Mei and the others?"
With ten players total and Izumi eliminated, three were still unaccounted for.
Billy the puppet chimed in, his voice low, "Those three guests mistakenly entered other guests' rooms. They haven't come out yet."
"Natsuki," Chika turned to him, concern in her eyes.
Natsuki set Billy down and said simply, "Mr. Butler, take us to apologize. I'm sure the disturbed guests will forgive us."
If they don't forgive... well, they'd try courtesy first, then force if necessary. Natsuki was pretty sure Billy was neutral, so they could use the "Sweep Away Evil" combo again if needed.
"Please follow me, guests," Billy said, straightening his suit and meticulously wiping himself down with a handkerchief. He led them to a room, announcing, "The guests are inside."
As Natsuki opened the door, he saw three players huddled in a corner, shivering. Opposite them stood a werewolf, his body covered in thick fur, oddly wearing a pair of stretchy gym shorts.
The three players' eyes widened in surprise at Natsuki's appearance. The werewolf seemed equally startled.
Turning his head, the werewolf's eyes flashed green. He grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "More food," he growled.