"Nothing happened."
"It's not moving."
Chika poked at the doll, first on one side, then the other. Relieved, she sighed. "Looks like they're all just ordinary dolls."
Hayasaka seemed lost in thought, her gaze shifting toward the shark costume in Amamiya's hand.
Amamiya lifted the shark costume and mused, "So, with so many dolls in the store, why is this the only one that can move?"
"Huh?"
Chika blinked in surprise. It was a question she hadn't considered before.
Placing her hand on her waist, she pondered aloud, "...Could this shark doll be special?"
Amamiya nodded. "That's the question—what makes this shark doll unique?"
"Special...?" Chika pressed two fingers to her temple in concentration. "I don't know. Maybe the game just picked a random doll and turned it into a monster?"
"That's unlikely," Hayasaka interjected softly. "Every game has its own set of rules."
Chika glanced at Amamiya. "Do you know what those rules are?"
"I don't," he admitted, shaking his head. "We need more information before we can figure it out."
The clues they had were still vague.
[You've found the shark costume's behavior suspicious.]
[Perhaps capturing more monsters for research might reveal something useful.]
"Let's go," Amamiya said. "We'll have to leave for now."
Before departing, Chika spotted a length of rope. Together, the three of them tied up the shark costume tightly and exited the doll shop.
Bang.
A dull thud echoed behind them.
Amamiya spun around just in time to see the shark costume—somehow free from its bindings—shuffling after them once more.
"Amamiya-kun, it's chasing us again!" Chika called out in alarm.
"It's slow," Hayasaka pointed out in a whisper. "We can easily outrun it."
"But what if another player comes across it?" Chika bit her lower lip. "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"
With a sigh, Hayasaka replied, "Maybe we're the only players in this game..."
Before she could finish her sentence, something flickered on the surveillance feed.
"Hey, there's someone!" Chika leaned closer to the screen. "...I don't recognize them. They must be a new player."
In a shopping mall as vast as this, it was only natural for other players to show up eventually.
As Amamiya observed Chika's confusion, an idea sparked in his mind. He turned to Hayasaka and asked, "Hanamori-san, where is that little train right now?"
Hayasaka quickly scanned the surveillance footage. "It's on the third floor. It should pass right above us soon."
"Perfect timing," Amamiya said, grabbing the still-persistent shark costume. "Let's go. We'll send it off with the train."
"..."
The three of them made their way through the hallway and soon arrived on the third floor.
Up ahead, the sound of cheerful music echoed through the corridor. A small train, driven by an eerie figure with a pumpkin for a head, slowly approached.
"Would you two care for a ride?" The pumpkin-headed figure turned toward them, its head emitting a strange, distorted voice.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Pumpkin," Chika politely declined, "but do you happen to have a driver's license?"
Earlier, on their way up, Amamiya had carefully briefed the girls on the rules of the train, so they knew exactly how to handle the situation.
The pumpkin-headed figure remained silent, "..."
"Mr. Pumpkin," Amamiya approached with a smirk, dragging the limp shark doll costume. "My friend here wants to experience the thrill of driving without a license, so…" He pushed the shark suit onto the train's seat, "Why don't you take it for a spin?"
The moment Amamiya released his hold, the shark doll sprang to life, flailing as it tried to break free. Yet, it was as if its seat was glued down, trapping it in place despite its struggles.
The small train wobbled and slowly rolled away, carrying the shark-suited figure with it.
"Phew…" Chika exhaled, visibly relieved. "Finally, we've shaken it off."
Just then, Amamiya's phone buzzed in his pocket. He fished it out and found a message from Kaguya.
"I'm Hayasaka, just got my phone. I'm on the first basement floor."
Kaguya had, for some reason, chosen the code name 'Hayasaka' for herself.
"It's Kaguya-chan!" Chika's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Hayasaka is Kaguya-chan's ever-faithful maid!"
Amamiya quickly typed a reply: "Got it, we're on the third floor. We'll meet up soon."
"The whole team's going to be reunited soon!" Chika beamed, delighted by the thought. She glanced at Amamiya, whispering conspiratorially, "Amamiya-kun, did you know, Hayasaka-chan is actually amazing at disguising herself!"
Hayasaka's ears twitched at the mention of her name, her eyes narrowing as she listened.
"Hayasaka-chan seems like she's got a big chest, but it's totally fake," Chika continued, oblivious to the rising tension. "I once took a bath with her when I stayed over at Kaguya-chan's place. She's actually as flat as Kaguya-chan."
Hayasaka: "…"
This is a horror game, not gossip hour!
"Flat?" Amamiya raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You really can't judge a book by its cover."
I can't believe they're talking about this now! Hayasaka silently fumed, gritting her teeth. Then, her attention shifted as she caught something on the surveillance feed. "There's a player in the hallway... looks like a kid. They're standing right in the train's path."
"Amamiya-kun?"
Chika quickly turned to Amamiya for guidance.
"Let's go," he responded decisively.
While Amamiya wasn't one to take reckless risks, if there was a chance to save another player without endangering himself or his friends, he wouldn't hesitate to help.
The three rushed ahead of the train, and soon, they spotted a small figure emerging from the corridor.
She was petite, with long silver hair and a round face, resembling a young elementary school student. She stood motionless, directly in the train's path.
Is she really an elementary school student? Amamiya thought, stunned. This horror game has no limits, even involving children?
Without a second thought, Amamiya was the first to reach her, scooping up the silver-haired girl into his arms just as the train approached.
The train trundled closer, and the pumpkin-headed figure turned its attention to the child in Amamiya's arms. Its glowing eyes and mouth seemed to bubble with molten lava.
"Would this young guest like to board?" the pumpkin-head croaked.
"Don't get on," Chika urgently warned, "it's dangerous!"
The silver-haired girl blinked in confusion, her pink lips parting as if to speak, but no sound escaped her mouth.
Amamiya's heart skipped a beat. This game not only forces kids to play but makes them mute too? How cruel can this get?
The train eventually passed by, leaving the corridor silent once more. Only then did Amamiya hear a faint whisper coming from the girl in his arms.
Looking down, he saw her lips moving again. Her voice was so soft he had to lean in to catch the words.
"Please put me down... don't hold me like this."
"Sorry," Amamiya muttered, setting her down gently.
"There are elementary school students playing this game?" Chika reached out, patting the girl's head curiously. "What's your name?"
"Reina," the silver-haired girl whispered in reply. "I'm not an elementary school student."
"Wait, you're not?"
"I'm a high schooler."
"No way! You don't look it at all!"
"..."