"Name?"
"Reina Aharen."
"Age?"
"Sixteen."
"Profession?"
The silver-haired girl tilted her head thoughtfully for a moment, then replied flatly:
"...High school student?"
"Wrong answer." Chika wagged a finger playfully. "High school student is an identity, not a profession. It's like doctor and patient or teacher and student. The former is a profession, the latter is not."
The silver-haired girl remained expressionless. "I understand."
Amamiya glanced down at the petite girl and lightly tugged at the corner of her clothes, relieved.
If she's not an elementary school student, then it's fine. After all, even in horror games, they wouldn't dare harm elementary school kids, right? Think about it: in games like 'Skyrim', 'Fallout', 'The Witcher 3', or 'Assassin's Creed', the child characters are always invincible—you can't harm them.
"Let's go," Amamiya said, his gaze shifting as he prepared to leave.
Chika nodded gently, standing up as she whispered, "Aharen-san, are you going by yourself or coming with us?"
The silver-haired girl raised her small face, her lips parting slightly.
"What was that?" Chika cupped her hand to her ear, leaning closer. "I can't hear you."
"..."
"No matter how loudly you speak, I still can't hear you," Chika added with a teasing smile.
"..."
After a brief pause, the girl silently turned and wrapped her arms around Amamiya's legs, making her choice clear through action.
Amamiya: "..."
Chika: "..."
I see. Looks like she's decided to stick with us.
Still, she could have just said something or quietly followed. There was no need to cling to someone!
And there are two girls here. Why cling to the boy?
"I get it." Amamiya sighed, looking down at her. He gently patted the girl's silver hair. "But could you let go of my legs now?"
The silver-haired girl let go without a word, her expression still unchanging.
"Where is Umi-chan?" Chika asked, her brows furrowing. "Why haven't we heard anything from her?"
"Maybe she's run into some trouble," Hayasaka muttered softly.
To be on the safe side, Hayasaka had stashed 'equipment and supplies' in various restrooms on each floor. If all went smoothly, they would have been able to contact her by now.
Hearing this, the silver-haired girl suddenly stepped forward and gently tugged on Amamiya's sleeve.
"Hm?" Amamiya looked down at her.
She tilted her head up and moved her lips, but no sound came out.
With no other choice, Amamiya crouched down, bringing his ear closer to her. Finally, he heard her faint voice: "...I just saw a player downstairs."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "What did they look like?"
"I didn't get a clear look. It was a girl."
"..."
In horror games, everyone fends for themselves. It's common for people to act alone, reluctant to team up for various reasons.
"What did Aharen-san say?" Chika asked curiously.
Amamiya briefly relayed the information and then added, "Let's head downstairs and check it out."
They had already contacted Kaguya, so meeting her could be postponed. However, Umi, who was still out of contact, was a growing concern.
Led by the silver-haired girl, Amamiya and the others made their way through the fire escape and down to the entrance of a KFC. She pointed inside.
"Is there someone in there?" Amamiya whispered.
The silver-haired girl nodded, then lifted her face and placed a hand over her mouth.
Amamiya crouched down again, just in time to hear her soft voice and gentle breathing: "She was there before… I don't know if she still is now."
What a vague answer! Amamiya thought.
"Let's check it out."
Amamiya took the lead, stepping into the quiet store.
Though the store was meant to be open 24 hours, it was eerily silent, as the mall had shut down at midnight. There was no sound at all.
"Umi-chan?" Chika called softly. "Are you in here?"
But the store remained dead silent. No one answered.
"Is anyone in the store?" Chika asked again, her voice hopeful. "We're players."
"..."
Silence hung in the air, no one answered.
Amamiya raised an eyebrow and remarked, "Since there's no one, let's turn on all the lights. Who cares if we attract every monster here?"
"Wait!"
A sudden voice interrupted the stillness.
From behind the cashier counter, a young girl nervously stood up. "Please don't turn on the lights... Are you really players?"
Amamiya's tone turned sad as he replied, "No, we're not. Sorry."
The girl froze for a moment, but quickly relaxed, smiling softly.
"That must mean you are players," she said with a sigh of relief. "If you were monsters, you would've attacked already." She slowly emerged from behind the counter as she spoke.
With the faint light from their phones, they could make out the face of a stranger—a blonde girl wearing glasses.
"It's not Umi-chan," Chika muttered, a little disappointed.
"With all of you gathered like this, aren't you afraid of running into monsters?" the girl asked, raising her hands to show she meant no harm. She lowered her voice, "The more people there are, the more danger, right...? Eh? Is that... a phone? And a tablet?"
Her eyes widened when she saw the device in Hayasaka's hands, and she quickly walked over. "You can actually bring your phone into the game?!"
"And there's surveillance footage... Is this the mall's security camera feed?"
Her jaw dropped, utterly shocked. "You can play like this?!"
"That's incredible," the glasses girl exclaimed, bowing deeply at a 90-degree angle. "Please, teach me your secret!"
"There's no secret," Chika huffed, lifting her chin in pride. "It's actually quite simple. All you need to do is prepare in advance."
Hayasaka's lips twitched slightly.
What are you even proud of?! Hayasaka thought. I'm the one who spent so much time and effort preparing everything! Of course, it's 'simple' for you!
"Prepare in advance...?" The girl with glasses echoed Chika's words, a hint of doubt creeping into her expression.
How could they have prepared? she wondered. I only got the game notification at around 4 p.m. What kind of preparations could anyone make in that time?
Oh, right. She remembered now.
I bought a cake I usually don't indulge in and ate the whole thing. Then I decided to treat myself to a beef buffet later. That was my 'preparation.'
Thinking about it now, her "preparation" felt like a sad joke compared to these pros.
They even have access to security camera footage! These people are definitely not ordinary players!
In that moment, her earlier resolve to continue playing solo until the end of the game wavered.
I need to stick with them!
Having made up her mind, the glasses girl's attitude shifted instantly. Her smile grew warmer, and her voice turned eager. "Are you looking for someone?"
"I'm the only one hiding in this store, but I did see another player earlier."
Amamiya nudged the silver-haired loli forward. "Was it her?"
The girl with glasses blinked in surprise. "An elementary school student? No, it wasn't her. I didn't get a clear look at the face, but the player I saw was taller, definitely a girl."
Amamiya didn't hesitate. "Take us to where you saw her."
Umi was still out of contact, and the situation was starting to feel ominous.
"Got it," the glasses girl agreed instantly, flashing an enthusiastic grin. "I love being a guide!"