"No! Don't wear it!"
Chika quickly stopped her.
"Hm?"
Kaguya tilted her head, looking at her with a hint of confusion.
Under the dim moonlight, Chika's face flushed slightly, and she averted her gaze in embarrassment. "I didn't tell Kaguya-chan what happened earlier. As soon as I walked in, I ran into a shark doll and instinctively put on its costume. I... almost died."
Amamiya replied earnestly, "I think it's worth a try. Wearing an ordinary doll costume should be safe enough. Shinomiya-san, I'll leave the testing to you."
"..."
The pink-haired girl pouted and turned to glare at Amamiya.
"You're not planning to give Kaguya-chan any more water, are you?"
"No more feeding... My lips still hurt."
"You still have the nerve to say that!"
"..."
"First, let's get this teddy bear out of the way." Amamiya turned to Hayasaka, "Hanamori-san, where's the train right now?"
Adjusting her black-framed glasses to cover her face, Hayasaka pressed her throat to disguise her voice while checking the surveillance footage.
"The train's currently on the third floor. If we take the passage on the right, we should be able to catch it."
"Then let's go."
They walked in silence, passing through the fire escape, and soon arrived at the third-floor corridor, where a small train was slowly approaching.
"Well, look who's here..."
The pumpkin-headed conductor turned, eyeing Amamiya at the front, snorting dismissively without further comment.
"Good evening, Mr. Pumpkin." Amamiya introduced calmly. "This is my friend, Big Bear. He just woke from hibernation and came all the way from the mountains to visit. He's never ridden a train before, so I was hoping you could let him try a 'no-license driving experience.'"
"Human, do you happen to have a friend named Bear Jr.?"
Pumpkinhead couldn't help but ask, exasperated.
"How did you know?" Amamiya feigned surprise, setting the teddy bear in the train seat. "Actually, I do have a friend named Bear Jr., and he might even be on his way here. When he arrives, I'll be sure to bring him for the experience, too."
"..."
Perhaps the strength of these creatures lies in the number of rules they follow.
The little train had the most rules, while the teddy bear, mannequin, and other figures only seemed bound by one or two. Once you got on the train, you couldn't escape; you could only remain a compliant passenger.
After securing the teddy bear, Amamiya suddenly noticed a small, inconspicuous pocket on the shark doll costume's belly, something he hadn't checked before. Curious, he reached in and found something unexpected.
When he pulled it out, he saw a purple object, the same item he'd retrieved from the teddy bear's mouth earlier. It resembled a coin, but it wasn't made of gold or jade.
"Whoa, what's that?"
Chika peeked over curiously.
"Not sure yet."
Amamiya examined the blue-black coin in his hand, and a prompt appeared in front of him.
[You have found a mysterious coin and decided to keep it safe]
Although he didn't know what it was for, he tucked it away for now.
Hayasaka suggested, "You might want to check if the mannequin has something like that, too."
At her suggestion, both mannequins turned their heads, looking directly at them.
Looking at the two mannequins sitting side by side,Umi's face turned slightly pale. She remembered the fear of turning into a doll and hurriedly hid behind Amamiya.
"It seems there's nothing left here." Amamiya continued forward, inspecting the two mannequins. "Their mouths can't open, they don't have any clothes, and there aren't any pockets... Try putting on the monster costumes and see what happens."
In the middle of the group, Hayasaka monitored the mall corridor from a tablet, while Miss Ghost led the way, her ghostly form scouting ahead. A mission meant to be full of danger and thrills had somehow taken on a strange sense of calm.
Watching Amamiya and the others moving confidently ahead, some of the other players silently clenched their fists. So this is how you survive the game—by sticking close to the pros!
Proceeding with caution, they soon arrived at the entrance of the doll shop where Chika had first appeared.
"There are no monsters inside," Miss Ghost reported as she re-emerged from the wall, working diligently. "Everyone can come in now."
The group pushed the door open and entered, double-checking their surroundings just to be safe.
"Back here again…"
Chika glanced around, exhaling softly.
This was where she ended up at the start. After barely finding an exit, she got trapped in that shark costume and almost died of thirst...
Her cheeks flushed a little as she recalled, and she couldn't help glancing at Amamiya.
Coincidentally, he looked back at her at the same time.
Their eyes met.
Chika immediately looked away as if nothing happened, whistling softly.
"Chika-chan, why are you whistling?" Umi asked, puzzled.
"…Just because!" Chika replied quickly.
On the other side of the room, Kaguya was inspecting an animal-themed costume, feeling the fabric. "I don't sense anything strange about it," she said.
"That's normal," Amamiya stepped closer to explain. "Only a few specific costumes have any effect."
Kaguya bit her lip, brows furrowing slightly as she considered her options. After a moment, she picked up a penguin costume. "Alright, let me try this one."
If she'd been alone or surrounded by strangers, Kaguya wouldn't have risked trying it, but with Amamiya and Chika beside her, she felt reassured.
The costume's headpiece was removable, and the zipper ran down the back. Designed for theatrical performances, it was easy to put on.
"Kaguya-chan, I'll help."
Chika stepped forward, zipping it up, then asked nervously, "Do you feel anything weird?"
"No," Kaguya replied, shaking her head and raising her arms, her black-and-white penguin wings flapping clumsily. She looked unexpectedly adorable.
Unable to resist, Amamiya pulled out his phone, his gaze on the now-costumed Kaguya.
"Natsuki-san, what are you doing with your phone?"
Kaguya looked over quickly.
"I don't know," Amamiya replied seriously. "My right hand seems to have a mind of its own."
"That's a lie!" Umi interjected. "You've already switched to camera mode—you're totally planning to take a picture!"
How could he not? Kaguya, waddling in a penguin costume, looked so cute that missing the chance to capture it would be a loss worth a fortune.
"Don't take pictures," Kaguya turned away, lifting a wing to hide her cheeks. If her hair was even a bit messy, the photo would look awful!
Amid their chatter, Hayasaka suddenly called out:
"There's movement in the corridor. A player is being chased by a monster."
Everyone fell silent and quickly moved to the hallway.
There, they saw a female player running in fear, with a zombified reindeer missing part of its antler in pursuit.
"Puyo, puyo~"
The sound of a squishy, slime-like creature echoed through the air, creating a strange, dazed sensation in those who heard it.