"Don't just press it randomly," Kaguya warned, worry evident in her voice.
But in the next second - Click!
The silver key split in two, revealing a mechanical key inside.
Natsuki and Kaguya both turned to look.
"Oh, it's like the electronic key for a car," Chika explained hurriedly, a hint of nervousness in her voice. "My dad's key ran out of battery once on a road trip. He told me there was a mechanical key inside. I... I didn't break it, did I?"
"No," Kaguya said, sounding impressed. "Well done, actually."
"Meow?" Kaguya turned slightly, lifting her hair to reveal her slender, pale neck. "Help me get this collar off, will you?"
"Leave it to me," Chika said, taking on the task with evident interest. She aimed the key at the lock, and with a soft click, the collar opened easily.
"Ahh..." Kaguya let out a sigh of relief. So much for that "loyal boyfriend" plan!
As the saying goes: Don't do to others what you wouldn't want done to you. Since she didn't want to wear a collar, she certainly wouldn't force Natsuki to wear one either. No sane person would want to be someone else's pet!
"It's really that simple, huh?" Natsuki muttered, glancing at the puppet Billy.
Meanwhile, some players had started eating their "food." The worst dish was apparently some sorrel and protein concoction made by the "Sand Sculpture" girl. The second worst was a skinned frog.
One of the boys, not Natsuki, was eating the frog with a fierce expression. He bit off one of its legs, chewed twice, then tilted his head back and swallowed it whole.
It just went to show what people were capable of when faced with the threat of death.
Natsuki looked at Kaguya, who stood with her hands clasped to her chest, clearly determined not to eat. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He turned to the puppet Billy and asked, "Mr. Butler, is it alright to share food with others?"
"Of course," Billy replied in a neutral tone. "It's up to the guests whether they eat their dinner or let others have it."
"That's perfect!" Chika's eyes lit up as she quickly pushed her plate over. "Kaguya, we can take turns-"
She glanced at the beetle larvae on the plate and quickly covered her mouth. "I mean... I'll give you half," she amended.
Even a self-proclaimed foodie like Chika couldn't stomach raw, squirming insects.
Natsuki reached out, plucked a blueberry from his plate, and popped it into his mouth. The berry's surface was covered in a layer of frost. It crunched as he bit down, intensely cold and nearly flavorless.
As he ate, Natsuki kept an eye on his task panel. He noticed that swallowing the blueberry did increase his countdown, but only by a few minutes. Even if he ate the entire plate, it would probably only buy him an extra hour at most.
Natsuki pushed the plate of blueberries towards Chika and took the sorrel and protein dish for himself.
Noticing Chika's conflicted look, he said casually, "I've still got plenty of time on my countdown. It doesn't matter if you eat the blueberries or not. But you need to boost your time as soon as possible... Even if you don't eat them all, it should be enough."
Kaguya pursed her lips slightly. Seeing the clear determination in Natsuki's eyes, without a hint of reluctance, she nodded. "I understand."
"Foolish human," the Wolf Girl sneered. Natsuki still held her wrist, restricting her movement, but not her sharp tongue. "You know how important food is, yet you give it away. Your human emotions are utterly baffling."
"Having complex emotions is a hallmark of advanced animals," Natsuki replied calmly.
"Sounds stupid to me," Wolf Girl snorted. "Being alive is everything. Once you're dead, you've got nothing."
Natsuki reached out and patted Wolf Girl's head, surprised by how silky and smooth her hair felt. "So you really are just a werewolf, huh?"
"How dare you touch my head!" Wolf Girl snarled. "I'll eat you!"
"Sorry, I'll pass," Natsuki said, pointing to his plate. "This sorrel-wrapped protein looks good. Want to try some?"
"Werewolves don't eat weeds and bugs!" she snapped.
Meanwhile, Chika was sharing her dried fruits with Kaguya. She popped a blueberry in her mouth and quickly frowned. "...It's not tasty at all. Nothing like blueberry jam."
Of course it's different, Natsuki thought. Jam has so many additives it barely resembles the original fruit.
"I've never had blueberries before," Kaguya admitted, her expression neutral as she ate one. "I don't know how they're supposed to taste."
"What? Kaguya's never had blueberries?" Chika exclaimed.
"No," Kaguya confirmed.
"I haven't either," Rikka chimed in, sitting next to Chika. The little cowlick on her head swayed as she tilted her head curiously.
Kaguya offered her a berry. "Here, try one."
"Thanks, Kaguya," Rikka said, eyeing the fruit like it was a formidable opponent. "It looks much prettier than a tomato, at least."
Realizing the maid and puppet butler weren't restricting movement, Chika couldn't sit still. She stood up and started swapping food with others.
"Hiyori, want to trade?" she offered cheerfully.
Hiyori looked surprised and flattered. "Thank you, Chika," she said gratefully, glancing at the unfamiliar tree bark on her own plate.
"Yukino, let's swap too!" Chika continued, spreading her enthusiasm to everyone at the table.
Thanks to the pink-haired girl's efforts, the mood lightened considerably. Players began finding a bit of joy in their predicament, exchanging food and chatting.
The "Mother Hen" Fujiwara was living up to her reputation.
As the last supper wrapped up, most players had managed to improve their countdowns, aside from the truly inedible dishes.
"Is it hot in here?" one player asked, wiping his brow. "I ate something and now I'm sweating."
"That's weird," another chimed in. "It was freezing before, but now it's suddenly boiling."
"Everything feels off," someone else added.
A girl's timid voice cut through the chatter: "We're done eating... what happens now?"
Chika looked down at puppet Billy and asked, "Does the butler have any other activities planned?"
"I'm afraid it's just a dinner party," Billy replied cryptically. "After this, there will be free time."
"Oh, is that it?" one player said, sounding surprised. They had expected to set off after the "last supper," but nothing seemed to be happening.
"I'd say things are just beginning," Natsuki remarked, eyeing the frost that had mysteriously spread throughout the restaurant. He turned to Kaguya and asked suddenly, "How can we prove that the world we're in isn't real?"
Kaguya frowned slightly, glancing around at the increasing frost in the castle. "It's impossible to prove," she said, shaking her head. "If this world is like the 'brain in a vat' scenario, there's no way to prove it either way."
She went on to explain that the "brain in a vat" theory suggests all human perceptions are just brain signals, making it impossible to prove whether the world we experience is reality or a dream.
Natsuki had been questioning whether the 'hints' he'd seen were products of a dream until he figured out a way to prove it. He knew that dreams are composed of knowledge the brain has previously encountered – you can't dream of someone or something you've never seen before.
Yukino stood silently in the corner, observing. Suddenly, her gaze swept over the second floor, and she froze.
"Did you see it?" Natsuki asked in a low voice, taking a half-step forward. He'd been watching Yukino carefully.
"Mm," Yukino responded softly, biting her lower lip. Her pretty face had gone slightly pale.
Natsuki followed her gaze to the second floor. At the junction of the first and second-floor corridors – the spot where Jack stood in "Titanic" – a woman had quietly appeared.
She wore a black evening dress and had a nice figure, with short, neat hair. On her face was a strange mask – half angel, half devil.
Natsuki narrowed his eyes, staring intently. A prompt quickly appeared before him.
[You discovered the 'Masked Witch'. What kind of expression does she have under the mask?]
[The happiness of a witch cannot be experienced by ordinary people, provided that you can arouse her interest]
[Strategy Difficulty: High]
[Unlockable Achievement: Sisters Rice Bowl]
"Sisters rice bowl..." Natsuki muttered, eyeing the strange hint. He'd already guessed the woman's identity from this inappropriate clue.
This achievement could only be unlocked by sisters. So there was no doubt...
"She's your sister, isn't she?" Natsuki turned to Yukino, his tone certain.
Yukino's eyes widened slightly, surprise evident on her face. "How did you know?"
"It doesn't matter," Natsuki said, turning away. What was important was that his verification was complete.
The appearance of Yukino's sister – someone he'd never seen before – proved that this world wasn't just a product of his imagination or a dream. It was something more, perhaps a shared virtual space or an alternate reality.
Natsuki's mind raced with the implications. If this masked woman was indeed Yukino's sister, she might hold crucial information or play a significant role in their current predicament. But the prompt had warned that interacting with her would be difficult.
He glanced back at Yukino, noting her tense posture and the mix of emotions playing across her face. There was recognition there, but also wariness, perhaps even fear.
"Yukino," he said quietly, "what can you tell me about your sister? Anything might be helpful in our situation."
Yukino hesitated, her eyes darting between Natsuki and the masked figure on the second floor. "Haruno is... complicated," she finally said. "She's brilliant, but unpredictable. And she always seems to be playing some kind of game."
Natsuki nodded, processing this information. "A game, huh? Well, it looks like we've all been thrown into quite a game ourselves. Maybe she'll be our key to understanding the rules."
He turned to address the rest of the group, keeping his voice low to avoid attracting unwanted attention. "Everyone, stay calm. We may have a new player in our midst, and we need to figure out how she fits into all this."