"Haah..."
Takakai exhaled deeply as he slumped against the wall, stretching his limbs.
His eyes wandered around the room - taking in the scattered plush toys and the dim, warm glow of the overhead lights. Gradually, the tension drained from his body, his tightly wound muscles finally relaxing.
This was [Alice's Little House], a blessing granted by the gentle soul of a little girl - the polar opposite of the murderous Alice from Fujioka Middle School. Within these walls, no supernatural entity could reach them. A true safe haven where all vigilance could be abandoned.
Nearby, Kaguya sat motionless on the floor where Takakai had pulled her. After several long moments, she finally released a shuddering breath, the adrenaline from their frantic escape fading - only to immediately clutch her head in pain.
With the immediate danger passed, the vertigo hit her full force.
It came from the memories - over fifty cycles of waking, opening the door, then the window, only to reset again. These meaningless repetitions now flooded her mind simultaneously, making her feel fractured into dozens of versions of herself, endlessly repeating the same futile actions across countless identical rooms.
Had Kaguya's mind not been tempered by blessings and enhanced through trials, this onslaught might have broken her. That she'd only been trapped for less than a day helped too - many players rescued after several days of looping had gone instantly mad when their memories returned.
Some unfortunate souls had even become trapped in multiple different loops, their minds shattered beyond repair by the conflicting timelines.
And this... this was merely the first challenge [Shirasawa Elementary] had thrown at them.
"Rough, isn't it? Try to relax. Focus on the present - what you see, hear, and feel right now. Don't let those memories overwhelm you. You'll be fine, Shinomiya. I know you will."
Takakai understood her pain all too well - he'd experienced the same when shooting himself earlier. He moved closer, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat.
"I'm... alright. What about you, Takakai? Are you okay?"
Kaguya managed a pale smile, concern flickering in her eyes despite her own discomfort.
"Never better. We should rest while we can. We've been in this dungeon nearly twenty hours - nightfall's coming. This room lasts five hours, so when it disappears it'll be past midnight. Those things might still be waiting outside, so get some sleep now while you can."
As he spoke, Takakai settled beside her, closing his eyes almost immediately.
His body had fully healed after the ten-minute immortality from Hirano's blessing expired. The mental strain remained, of course - the sudden return of forgotten memories had taken its toll.
But compared to what he'd endured before - boiling baths, Shandong hamburgers, living doll transformations - this barely registered. The only real threat to his sanity these days was linking minds with miko and having her "snuggle" with core obsessions.
Moreover, unlike Kaguya's identical, meaningless loops, each of his explorations had been unique. The psychological damage was comparatively lighter - not that it mattered much in this hellhole. Surviving was surviving; no one got bonus points for style.
"Twenty hours... plus five more resting..."
That left only three days to rescue Hayasaka.
After an entire day in the dungeon, they'd barely escaped their starting rooms, explored fewer than ten areas between them. Kaguya herself had accomplished little beyond obtaining one set of rules before getting trapped.
Could they really save Hayasaka at this rate?
The thought unsettled Kaguya more than she cared to admit.
"Still worried?"
Takakai's voice startled her. She turned to find him watching her, his eyes unexpectedly alert.
"...I'm fine."
She shook her head slightly, unwilling to voice her doubts.
After all, she'd been dead weight this entire mission. Burdening her companion - the one who'd willingly plunged into danger to help her - with pointless anxieties seemed inexcusable.
Logically, she knew her fears were unfounded. With Takakai's help, with his incredible ability to retry failures, she should be hopeful. But after experiencing Shirasawa's horrors firsthand, optimism felt impossible.
Was it because... Hayasaka was the only person she'd ever truly trusted?
For someone raised in the viper's nest of the Shinomiya family, where every relationship was transactional and every smile hid a knife, Hayasaka Ai had been her sole constant. The maid assigned to her who became her confidante, her only genuine connection in a life of deception.
To think she could fear loss this intensely...
Takakai said nothing more, his breathing gradually evening out as he leaned against the wall.
He recognized Kaguya's turmoil but lacked the energy to comfort her. Besides, if anyone could tough it out, it was her. If she needed to work through something, she'd manage.
With that thought, he let consciousness slip away. His sleep was light - he intended to rest only four hours, leaving time to strategize. They needed to devise a way to leave effective hints across resets, decide their next exploration route...
Soon, Kaguya found herself the only one still awake.
He fell asleep so quickly...
She studied the man beside her with quiet amazement.
That ability to sleep anywhere, completely unbothered by surroundings - she envied it.
Her gaze lingered on the stains covering his clothes, recalling their first collaboration at Shirakawa Apartments.
Back then, Takakai hadn't been this strong. She'd even surpassed him in combat ability. Now though, he'd left her far behind in every aspect.
No...
Even at Shirakawa, his potential had been evident.
Kaguya knew well that despite his initial weakness, his decisive actions and incredible pain tolerance had always outstripped hers. As a scion of a great family, she might have titles and honors, but her true expertise lay in schemes and manipulations - a petty imitation of her elders. Takakai, meanwhile, possessed genuine capability. It just required this supernatural crucible to reveal it.
Maki was with him now. So was Fujiwara. That girl from the Shinomiya branch family they rescued at Fujioka likely had feelings for him too. Given his... proclivities, the number of women around him would probably only grow.
To think she'd one day, rely on such an unfaithful man. Except... he'd never hidden this aspect of himself. "Unfaithful" might not be the right term. She didn't know the details of his relationships with Maki and the others - she'd always been an outsider looking in.
But now... how did she truly view Takakai?
The question froze Kaguya's thoughts as she stared at his sleeping form.
He trusted her completely.
That's why he could sleep so peacefully by her side.
And when in trouble, she'd ultimately turned to him.
Somehow, she'd come to believe that no matter the problem, Takakai would find a solution - just as he'd helped her deal with her family.
He was undoubtedly lecherous.
Yet because she'd never indicated interest, he'd never harassed her. He played shameless pranks on Maki and Fujiwara, but never crossed that line with her. In that regard at least, he could be considered... honorable?
So, what did she feel about this powerful, unshackled man who believed in her, who'd brave dangers and endure agony for her sake?
Kaguya found no ready answer.
She simply watched him sleep, then - slowly, hesitantly - edged closer. Her hand rose, fingertips lightly brushing his cheek.
Takakai's brow twitched. He shifted slightly but didn't wake.
"What kind of person... are you really?"
The words circled her mind but never passed her lips.
For reasons she couldn't explain, her heart finally settled.
Leaning carefully against Takakai, Kaguya closed her eyes.
This time, sleep came easily.