Drip—drip—
The rain never stopped.
It fell in sheets over the twisted school buildings, drenching the cracked pavement of the playground where two puppies—a golden retriever and a husky, both around six months old—darted through the downpour.
Shadowy figures loitering on the field turned toward the sound of paws against wet concrete.
But upon seeing the dogs, they froze, as if unsure whether to pursue.
If Hayasaka had retained her full human cognition, she would've realized:
Becoming dogs had bypassed many of the Remnants' killing rules.
After all, urban legends were born from human fears. Their rules targeted people, not animals.
And since they'd already been transformed by the Butcher's curse, their canine forms now granted them unexpected safety—far more than last loop.
Click—!
The golden retriever nudged the door open with her snout, slipping inside, the husky close behind.
With a paw, she pushed the door shut, then shook off the rainwater. The husky sniffed the air, confirming they were in a school hallway, before both puppies pressed forward.
Have to find him…
Even as her thoughts frayed, Hayasaka clung to that single purpose.
Have to find Takakai-san… He's in danger…
He saved me so many times… I have to find him…
Normally, the curse should've lifted by now. But this loop, it persisted—their minds deteriorating further, their bodies stuck as dogs.
As if the dungeon's logic itself had been rewritten.
As if someone had tampered with the rules, rendering last loop's knowledge useless.
Find Takakai… find Takakai find Takakai—
Compared to Kaguya, who still retained some human reasoning, Hayasaka—trapped in this form far longer—was losing herself faster.
Her memories blurred.
Her name—Hayasaka Ai—flickered in and out.
Takakai-san… Master…?
A desperate, shameful mental anchor formed in her mind.
I'm Master's dog… My name is Hayasaka… I have to return to Master…
It worked. The memory erosion slowed, her sense of self stabilizing—though if this lasted too long, even after turning back, there'd be consequences.
"Whine…"
The golden retriever crept forward, dashing past classrooms as their lights flickered off, staying hidden in the shadows.
The husky—Kaguya—watched her closely.
This dog… is definitely Hayasaka.
But how does she know the layout so well? Unless…
A chilling realization struck her.
Did she retain memories from last loop? Like Maki and Fujiwara?
An odd emotion twisted in Kaguya's chest—something like a new puppy stealing its owner's affection.
No—I'm not a dog!
She shook her head, fighting the curse's influence, and followed Hayasaka deeper into the hall.
Whispers grew louder around them—students' voices, laced with fear and malice.
[That Hachiya Chiyo… I heard she's friends with the Dog-Eating Butcher.]
[No way… That monster turns people into dogs and slaughters them!]
[They say she's a shrine maiden for yōkai… Maybe she's connected to Black Shadow.]
[We bullied her before… What if she's a monster now? We should kill her—before she kills us!]
[Her little brother visits sometimes… Let's grab him, use him to lure her out—]
The voices grew hysterical, violent.
A teacher's laughter seemed to weave between the words—but when the puppies paused to listen, it vanished.
They reached the hallway's end, where a single classroom door stood ajar.
Unlike the others, this one emitted a soft glow—no eerie chill.
But its surface was smeared with chaotic colors—greens, yellows, reds, purples—all splattered under layers of black, as if many hands had tried to paint over something.
Creak—
Hayasaka peeked inside, then slipped in.
Kaguya followed, shutting the door with her paw just as shadows began oozing from the other classrooms.
The air inside reeked of rust and decay.
Every desk and chair had been smashed to pieces.
Boards torn from the windows lay shattered on the floor, as if someone had rampaged here—or as if a fierce battle had taken place.
On the blackboard, Hayasaka spotted the final rules:
[Student ■ule No.■]
[Check ■urvivors' ne■ks. Any■ne with ■nvisible ■trings ■round their ■hroat is ■ not to be trusted■. ■ind the ■onster ■hat's ■lready ■mong us■—]
This rule had been violently scratched out, though faint traces remained.
Beneath it, a new message was written in neat, practiced handwriting—not a child's:
[Rule No. 9]
[Disregard Rule 8. The Student Rules are void.]
[Those who wanted to return to the shelter have already gone. That was their choice.]
[It's time we go home. This should've ended long ago.]
Had Hayasaka been fully human, she might've connected this to Rule No. 10 from last loop.
But now, her mind was fixated on one thing:
Find Master. Be praised by Master.
She trotted to the second door in the room, jumped up, and—
—bit the handle, hanging her weight on it until the door clicked open.
Beyond lay a silent military camp.
Headless soldiers patrolled in perfect formation.
Searchlights swept across the front gates.
"Awoo! Bark!"
Recognition flashed in Hayasaka's fading memories.
This place… Master and I escaped through here last time!
She bolted forward, tail wagging.
Kaguya hesitated—Is this really Hayasaka? She's acting too much like a dog…
But with no better options, she followed, both puppies sprinting toward the camp's entrance.
Elsewhere…
The blood moon hung silently in the sky.
And deeper still—in the corridor drowning in gore—Takakai, still fleeing the Chainsaw Abomination, stumbled upon something unexpected.
It was…