[Immersive dungeon successfully loaded. Please prepare.]
[Countdown begins.]
As the countdown to the game shortened with each passing second, Amamiya glanced at Miko and whispered:
"The game is about to start."
"Be careful." Miko bit her lower lip and added in a low voice, "I'll make lunch, so come and eat with us."
"What will you make?"
"Beef brisket with tomatoes and potatoes."
"That's actually my favorite dish. I'll definitely come over for the free meal." Amamiya reassured her, "Don't worry. Based on past experiences, this should be over in less than a minute."
The countdown hit zero.
Everything went dark for Amamiya as his consciousness froze.
In the next instant, he vanished from the room.
"Huh?" Miko's eyes widened in surprise, stunned. "Where did he go?"
---
Cold.
Dizziness.
Disorientation.
It felt like being submerged underwater for too long, the dizziness from lack of oxygen clouding his mind.
As the biting cold crept across his face, Amamiya's eyes shot open. Above him, a gray sky hung low, heavy with snowflakes drifting down from the heavens.
Sitting up slowly, he placed a hand on his forehead and took a deep breath. The frigid air rushed into his lungs, jolting him awake as he discreetly surveyed his surroundings.
"Location... unknown mountains."
"The environment... covered in ice and snow."
This time, the game had kept the team together. As he looked around, Amamiya saw Kaguya and Chika lying nearby, along with many other players, all neatly gathered in the same spot.
"Mmm..."
Chika stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she saw the flurries of snow around her, her face lit up with excitement.
"Wow, what a beautiful snowfall!"
What are you so happy about? You're only wearing a short skirt and a shirt—heavy snow in such extreme weather should be the last thing to get excited over!
"It's too soon to celebrate." Amamiya sighed, "Wake Shinomiya-san up first."
"Leave it to me."
With a playful salute, Chika leaned over and gently poked Kaguya's cheek. "Hey, Kaguya-chan's skin is so soft! I've always wanted to poke it—it feels just as nice as I imagined."
Still basking in her amusement, the pink-haired girl turned to Amamiya with a grin. "Amamiya-kun, would you like to try?"
To be honest, Amamiya was a bit tempted.
But before he could respond, Kaguya's eyes flickered open. Confusion briefly flashed in her wine-red irises, but in an instant, they sharpened with focus.
"Kaguya-chan, you're awake!" Chika, showing no guilt for being caught in the act, instead said cheerfully, "Congratulations, the operation was a success."
Ignoring Chika's antics, Kaguya rubbed her forehead and silently sat up. Her eyes quickly scanned the surroundings before she quietly muttered:
"This time... it's a snowy mountain?"
"Looks like it," Amamiya nodded. "I just woke up too. Seems like everyone's still together."
As they spoke, other players began to wake up one by one.
"It's freezing."
"We're actually on a snowy mountain?"
"Ugh, I was just vacationing in Okinawa and only brought a shirt. I should've worn a down jacket."
"Look, there's an old castle at the top of the mountain."
---
"Master Chika!"
A familiar voice of surprise caught Amamiya's attention.
He turned toward the sound and spotted a petite girl dressed in dinosaur pajamas running toward them. As she lifted the hood of her pajamas, her small, adorable face came into view, with a white eye patch covering her right eye. It was Rikka Takanashi, a teammate from the last game.
"Rikka-chan!"
Chika's eyes brightened as her smile grew wider.
Before entering the game, Chika, the self-proclaimed light of humanity, had encouraged everyone in the game's mutual aid group to support one another and overcome any challenges if they found themselves in the same game.
Now that they had indeed reunited, it felt like a joyous, victorious reunion.
Unfortunately, aside from Rikka, all the other faces around them were unfamiliar.
Amamiya gave a slight nod, greeted Rikka, and silently began observing the other players.
There weren't many participants in this game—just ten in total, consisting of three men and seven women. After waking up, none of them screamed or panicked, a clear sign that they were experienced players, not novices.
"Ah—"
A sudden cry of surprise echoed in the air.
Amamiya's lips twitched slightly. He had just noted that no one was screaming, and now, right on cue…
He turned to see Rikka's ahoge hair bouncing happily as she scampered over to a black-haired girl standing quietly in the corner. Her voice was filled with excitement as she called out:
"Yukino, it's me, it's me!"
"…Sounds familiar."
Amamiya glanced over with curiosity and noticed the girl in question—a tall, striking beauty with long, straight black hair. Her cold demeanor was as icy as the snow around them, stirring a subtle sense of déjà vu in him.
Suddenly, it clicked.
He turned his gaze to the ice-cold Kaguya standing beside him.
The resemblance between the two was uncanny—their frosty temperaments, even their similarly modest figures. Could it be that he was surrounded by yet another "flat-chested" beauty from a parallel world?
"What's wrong?"
Sensing Amamiya's odd stare, Kaguya tilted her head slightly, her red ribbon bow swaying gently in the wind and snow.
As her long black hair fluttered into a bow, Amamiya couldn't help but feel that her "character attributes" had subtly changed...
Meanwhile, Rikka excitedly pulled the black-haired girl over and introduced her with obvious affection:
"The first time I played this game, it was Yukino who helped me clear it."
Chika raised a hand in greeting, smiling warmly as she introduced herself, "Chika Fujiwara, nice to meet you. Thank you for your guidance."
The black-haired girl responded coolly:
"…Yukinoshita Yukino."
By this time, some of the players had already started moving toward the castle atop the mountain.
"It's freezing," Chika shivered as she crossed her arms, "Should we head to the castle too?"
In the real world, it was May Day Golden Week, with clear skies and temperatures soaring above 20 degrees. Everyone had dressed lightly and comfortably.
But now, the game was covered in snow and ice. At first, the cold was bearable, but after only a few minutes of conversation, the biting chill began seeping into their bones. Finding shelter to conserve body heat had become a priority.
Even though they all knew the castle on the mountaintop posed potential danger, they had little choice but to head there.
"Let's go."
Amamiya nodded and took one last look at his surroundings.
The snow-covered mountains stretched in every direction, with their landing point situated about halfway up. Behind them lay a dense forest blanketed in snow, with many trees buckling under the weight of their snow-laden branches.
[You look closely and sense something strange about the forest ahead.]
"Huh?"
Startled by the sudden prompt, Amamiya paused.
What's strange about it? Can you be more specific, please?
"Amamiya-kun, hurry up!" Chika urged, "You'll freeze if we stay here any longer."
Amamiya pulled his gaze away from the forest and followed the group of girls toward the castle through the wind and snow.
The castle wasn't far, and soon, all the players had gathered outside its heavy, imposing wooden gate.
A player hesitated for a moment before stepping forward to push the door. To everyone's surprise, the seemingly immovable door opened soundlessly.
They exchanged uncertain glances. No one wanted to be the first to enter, but with the wind howling around them and the freezing cold becoming unbearable, there was no real alternative.
Amamiya stepped forward, leading the way into the castle.
Inside, the eerie silence of the place was palpable.
"I've got it!"
Chika suddenly exclaimed, placing her right hand on her hip and declaring with a dramatic flourish: "It's Snowstorm Villa!"