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"The key has been taken out."
Before long, Yukinoshita Yukino successfully retrieved the key from Hiruko no Kami statue's abdomen using a prop spider silk.
Haruno raised a hand to cover her mouth, feigning surprise: "Yukino is so amazing."
Marin followed suit: "Yukino is so amazing."
Fujiwara Chika: "Yukino is so amazing."
Sayu: "Yukino is so amazing."
Amamiya Natsuki joined in the fun: "Yukino…"
"Hmm?!"
Yukinoshita Yukino's gaze shifted, a warning in her eyes.
It's fine for others to call her Yukino, but you shouldn't join in the fun.
"You guys are enough." Yukinoshita Yukino helplessly covered her forehead. "I'll open the door."
Amamiya Natsuki extended his hand and said:
"Let me open it instead. It's better to be able to react in time if there's danger."
The information left from the previous cycle only said that after getting the key and opening the secret door, entering the cave system would complete the dungeon mission. It didn't say what would happen when opening the secret door. There was a high probability there would be no danger, but it's better to be safe than sorry, so vigilance still couldn't be dropped.
"Mhm."
Yukinoshita Yukino softly responded and handed over the key.
Amamiya Natsuki took the key and opened the secret door.
A faint cold wind blew in their faces.
"So cold."
"There's wind below."
"Wind is a good thing. It proves that the air underground is circulating normally and won't produce toxic gases."
"…"
Everyone raised their flashlights and descended the steps.
At the end of the artificially excavated mountain path, a huge and vast cave system suddenly appeared before their eyes.
At the same time.
Shimiya Kaguya said softly:
"I received the notification that the dungeon mission is complete."
Yukinoshita Yukino carefully observed her surroundings and followed up: "I also received the notification."
Just like in the second cycle, Fujiwara Chika once again raised her hand and suggested:
"Hiruko no Kami is in this cave system, right? Should we strike first and actively go find her?"
"I suggest not." Kaguya crossed her arms over her chest and said softly, "Hiruko no Kami is hiding in the cave system because she is injured, so she is clearly very vigilant. Therefore, she definitely won't be alone. There must be other shadows guarding her in the cave system. We don't know Hiruko no Kami's location, nor do we know the number of guarding shadows. If we act rashly, we won't have an advantage."
Kitagawa Marin nodded:
"Kaguya makes a lot of sense."
Hayasaka Ai raised her hand and said:
"I also support Kaguya."
"And the most crucial point…" Yukinoshita Yukino held her left arm with her right hand and said softly, "Hiruko no Kami has the ability to reset time. If we can't kill her in one blow, she will definitely reset time again."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded:
"I support Yukino."
The second young lady bit her lip lightly, unable to help but roll her eyes at him.
Amamiya Natsuki pretended not to see it and said:
"Should we rush in and capture Hiruko no Kami? Let's vote on it."
"…"
The final result was naturally self-evident.
No one wanted to challenge this final boss, Hiruko no Kami, who possessed the ability to reset time.
"Since that's the case, let's go out." Shimiya Kaguya said softly, "The subsequent dungeon missions have already been received."
A moment later.
The group walked out of the gloomy abandoned Hospital.
The bright sunlight shone down, and looking into the distance, there was an endless blue Sea and sky, making one involuntarily let out a long sigh of relief, and their mood brightened.
"So amazing~" Fujiwara Chika took out her phone and exclaimed, "We actually completed the dungeon mission in just ten minutes."
Kitagawa Marin put her right hand on her hip, smiling brightly:
"It should be said that Natsuki is amazing, returning strongly in the second cycle."
Amamiya Natsuki shamelessly nodded and said:
"I also think I'm amazing."
"Bah~"
"…"
The group explored the abandoned Hospital with the guide from the previous cycle, so they were unstoppable and barely expended any effort. Therefore, there was no need to rest, and they immediately began the next step of action.
"These elementary school students need supervision." Amamiya Natsuki pondered for a moment, then said, "Juju, Shoko, and Sayu, I'm leaving them to you."
Sayu saluted: "We will definitely take good care of them."
"Mhm, mhm."
Komi quickly nodded.
Juju crossed her arms and said, "Leave it to us."
None of them were novice players; they might soften at an elementary school student's pleas, but they knew what was important, so entrusting the elementary school student to them would be no problem.
Amamiya Natsuki continued:
"Senpai, Marin, and Haruno, I will paste the Mystique skill on you three. You three will investigate Hiruko no Kami's past. Pay attention to the time and avoid surveillance before the transformation wears off. If time is short, you can hide in a secluded place and send a message. Once I receive it, I'll head over immediately."
Koyasu Tsubame nodded gently:
"No problem."
Kitagawa Marin clenched her right fist: "Natsuki, you all need to be careful too."
Yukinoshita Haruno said: "Yukino, your sister isn't by your side, so take good care of yourself, okay?"
Yukino's pink lips moved slightly, and she said speechlessly:
"…I should be the one saying that."
The last team consisted of Amamiya Natsuki, Chika, Hayasaka, Kaguya, and Yukino. Nekonoshita had learned a detection skill recently, which was quite useful for the team.
Chika, needless to say, was a mandatory inclusion for Seize and Eliminate Evil.
After the time reset with memories from the second playthrough, Hayasaka Ai's Mystique skill leaped to become the core of the team, hands in pockets, knowing no opponent.
Finally, there was Shimiya Kaguya, whose Dark Shadow skill allowed her to advance or retreat, fight or flee, making her equally indispensable.
In short, Amamiya Natsuki's small team could be said to be the strongest lineup.
As for their objective…
"Rhombus Hospital."
Shimiya Kaguya crossed her arms and said softly:
"This abandoned Hospital leads directly to the cave system, clearly having intricate ties with Hiruko no Kami. The mountain path we just descended was not naturally formed; there were artificial excavation marks everywhere. It's impossible for one person to have secretly dug it out."
Hayasaka Ai continued the analysis:
"According to the information Senpai brought back from the last playthrough, shadows replacing humans are not random acts but have clear targets. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume that the director and high-ranking officials of Rhombus Hospital have a high probability of being replaced by shadows, as only with the director's support and consent could the mountain path be legitimately excavated."
Nekonoshita said softly: "Rhombus Hospital has been abandoned for decades. In other words, the shadows working in the Hospital now have existed for decades. They must know more information than newly born shadows and are very likely to know Yote's true identity."
Amamiya Natsuki raised his right hand and said faintly: "You've said everything already, what am I supposed to say?"
Fujiwara Chika looked up, her voice clear: "At a time like this, the President should certainly say some words to boost morale."
The other girls also looked over upon hearing this.
"Let me think…" Amamiya Natsuki mused for a moment, then said, "Clear the dungeon, and then we all participate in the real Summer Festival together."
"…"
Once the skills were pasted, everyone immediately took action.
Twenty minutes later.
Amamiya Natsuki and the others stopped at the entrance of a three-story Hospital.
"Rhombus Hospital… We're here."
The Island was not large, with a permanent population of just over a thousand people, so there was only one comprehensive Hospital on the Island. After Amamiya Natsuki and the others transformed into ordinary tourists, they simply asked a passerby and found out the exact location of the Hospital.
"The transformation duration is almost up," Amamiya Natsuki whispered. "Let's find a place to wait first, and then enter the Hospital after pasting the skills."
Chika nodded in agreement: "Let's go to that KTV up ahead. We can get a private room and check the information Marin and the others just collected."
"Okay."
The group headed to a nearby KTV. After entering a private room, they dispelled their transformations and then picked up their phones to check the information collected by Marin and the two senpais.
Fujiwara Chika read softly: "According to the elders on the Island, the god worshipped on Hito Island was not Hiruko no Kami but Inari Okami. Later, during a great hunger three hundred years ago, Hiruko no Kami appeared and helped the people overcome the hunger, thus becoming the object of faith for the Island residents…"
Amamiya Natsuki said: "Three hundred years ago… that would be the Kyōhō Great hunger during the Edo period."
Shimiya Kaguya said softly: "In the information Senpai collected, Rhombus Hospital, as the only Hospital on the Island, also has a history and legacy of several hundred years, which perfectly aligns with the time Hiruko no Kami appeared."
Hayasaka Ai took a sip of her iced drink and exhaled lightly: "So, we really came to the right place."
Yukinoshita Yukino raised her right hand, her slender fingers tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and said softly: "My sister sent a message. There has been a legend of shadow sickness on the Island for a long time. It is said that some people see a shadow exactly like themselves, and after a few days, the shadow kills the human and replaces their identity to continue living."
Amamiya Natsuki sat on the sofa, holding Hayasaka's left hand and Chika's right, pasting skills. Upon hearing this, he said: "In other words, Hiruko no Kami eating people didn't just start now; it has been happening for hundreds of years."
Shimiya Kaguya pursed her pink lips and mused: "A Hospital is the most normal place for birth, aging, sickness, and death, which is why someone specifically built a Hospital to provide food for Hiruko no Kami."
Amamiya Natsuki, while playing with the Spy Maid's fingers, said: "A simple deduction: during the Great hunger three hundred years ago, Hiruko no Kami came to Hito Island, and then for some reason, formed a bond with the Rhombus family. For example, Hiruko no Kami's initial replication target was someone from the Rhombus family, though other possibilities exist. Afterwards, the Rhombus family founded Rhombus Hospital to provide food for Hiruko no Kami… If we go to the library or archives to check the time of the hunger and the founding of Rhombus Hospital, we can confirm the connection."
"However, there are no impenetrable walls."
"There are only so many residents on the small Island. Someone discovered the existence of shadows, thus starting the legend of shadow sickness."
Fujiwara Chika asked curiously: "Strange, why didn't the residents run away, knowing there was a man-eating monster on the Island?"
Shimiya Kaguya said softly: "Because Hiruko no Kami's 'appetite' in the past should not have been large… Sickness, natural aging, accidental deaths, etc., the natural metabolism of the population could satisfy Hiruko no Kami's eating needs, which is why the Island residents were not terrified and did not flee."
If Hiruko no Kami ate a hundred or so people every year like the three demon kings of Shituoling, there would have been no one left on the Island long ago.
Amamiya Natsuki nodded: "Hiruko no Kami is eating a lot today because it was injured and needs to replenish a large amount of energy."
Hayasaka Ai tilted her head and asked: "Why would such a powerful Hiruko no Kami be injured?"
"It should be related to the sudden abandonment of the old Hospital." Yukinoshita Yukino looked at her phone and said softly, "My sister just sent a message saying that decades ago, the Island was subjected to an air raid bombing, and parts of Rhombus Hospital collapsed in the bombing. It was for this reason that Rhombus Hospital had to be rebuilt in a new location."
"Eh?" Fujiwara Chika widened her eyes. "An air raid bombing decades ago, could it be… Ah!"
Amamiya Natsuki pinched secretary Chika's waist and said seriously: "Some things cannot be said."
Fujiwara Chika covered her mouth with her hands: "I won't say anything."
These stories were pieced together by everyone based on the collected information, not random guesses, and had strong reference value. So, at Amamiya Natsuki's suggestion, the girls all wrote them down in notebooks and saved them in their game backpacks, just in case.
A moment later.
"Pasting is complete." Amamiya Natsuki stood up and said, "Everyone go find a transformation target."
Hayasaka Ai reminded: "There are surveillance cameras in the hallway, don't forget to wear hats."
"Got it."
Amamiya Natsuki picked up a baseball cap, put it on his head, and then walked out of the private room.
Mystique's transformation ability requires touching someone's body to copy information; it can't just transform into any desired appearance. So, he had to find a transformation target first.
Amamiya Natsuki walked to the end of the hallway, turned into the restroom, and happened to see a young man washing his hands at the sink. So, he went over and simply touched him:
"It's you."
He had previously transformed into a girl at Juju and Shoko's school. To be honest, there wasn't much difference between male and female, but given the choice, Amamiya Natsuki naturally preferred to transform into a male.
Kaguya and Chika were the same; they only chose female transformation targets.
After washing up.
Amamiya Natsuki adjusted the baseball cap on his head and walked out of the restroom, only to see the man he had just copied standing at the entrance of the women's restroom, holding hands with a young woman, seemingly a couple.
Before long, another woman walked out of the restroom, similar in appearance to the first woman, seemingly twins. The man again extended his other hand, took the hand of the girl who had just walked out, and the three left the KTV together.
"Heh, men…"
Amamiya Natsuki was about to complain, but on second thought, he had no right to complain about others, so he retracted his gaze and walked back to the private room to wait.
A moment later.
Several girls returned one after another.
"Are we all ready?"
"Yes."
"Then prepare to act."
Amamiya Natsuki put away his phone, activated his transformation skill, and with a faint shimmer, turned into the young man he had encountered in the restroom earlier. The girls also used their transformation skills, changing into other appearances.
"Hmm?"
"Eh?"
Several soft exclamations echoed in the private room.
The first sound came from Amamiya Natsuki. He was surprised to find that Kaguya and Yukino, after transforming, clearly looked like the twin sisters who had been holding the man's arms in the hallway earlier.
The second soft exclamation came from Fujiwara Chika. Secretary Chika exclaimed in surprise: "What a coincidence, Kaguya and Yukino-chan actually transformed into the same person."
"Not the same person." Hayasaka Ai observed carefully, then shook her head. "They just look very similar."
Amamiya Natsuki said: "They should be twins, but I don't know who is the older sister and who is the younger sister."
Shimiya Kaguya and Yukino exchanged glances, looking at each other's similar appearances, feeling slightly subtle emotions. But that was all; they had already seen the identical Yandere Kaguya, so very similar twins were actually nothing.
"It must be an accident. I just chose my target in front of the vending machine." Shimiya Kaguya crossed her arms and said softly, "She was alone at the time, I didn't expect them to be sisters."
Yukinoshita Yukino said calmly: "I chose my transformation target in the restroom… as long as it doesn't hinder our actions, it's fine."
Hayasaka Ai looked over curiously and asked: "Senpai, why did you look so surprised just now?"
Amamiya Natsuki thought for a moment, realizing there was nothing he couldn't say, so he recounted what he had seen in the hallway earlier.
"I see, so they were a couple dating three people together." Hayasaka Ai smiled pleasantly, her hands behind her back, and said, "Senpai, were you hoping Kaguya and Yukino-chan would hold your arms, one on each side?"
"Stare—"
Kaguya turned her head to look over.
Amamiya Natsuki said seriously: "I never thought of that at all."
Hayasaka Ai retorted with disdain: "Liars have to swallow a thousand needles."
Swallowing a thousand needles was better than becoming a target of public criticism. She was still fanning the flames; indeed, she needed to be properly disciplined!
Yukinoshita Yukino's expression remained unchanged, and she said calmly: "Let's hurry to the Hospital."
Amamiya Natsuki nodded and said, "Let's go."
Their transformation time was limited, so they indeed needed to hurry.
Walking out of the private room, Shimiya Kaguya covered her lower abdomen with her right hand, her expression slightly hesitant.
"Kaguya-chan, what's wrong?" Fujiwara Chika tilted her head and asked.
Shimiya Kaguya pursed her pink lips and shook her head, "...Nothing."
Her belly had a strange bulge that felt quite round to the touch... Perhaps the person she transformed into had eaten too much for lunch.
A moment later.
Amamiya Natsuki and the others walked into Rhombus Hospital together.
"There's a bulletin board over there," Fujiwara Chika pointed, whispering, "It has the names and basic duties of the medical staff posted on it."
The group walked to the bulletin board and quickly found the Hospital director, a middle-aged man with glasses and a high hairline, named Hishigata Bronze.
Hayasaka Ai softly said, "Next, we head to the Director's office."
As she spoke, a nurse happened to pass by. Just as they were about to ask for the office's location, the nurse stopped in front of Kaguya first and smiled, "You're finally here. The examination report is ready."
"Eh?"
Shimiya Kaguya was startled, then quickly realized that the girl she had transformed into must have come to the Hospital for a physical examination not long ago.
The nurse then looked at Yukino and asked, "Oh, by the way, which of you is the older sister and which is the younger sister?"
Yukinoshita Yukino pursed her pink lips, glanced at Kaguya, and softly said, "I am the younger sister."
"Then congratulations to you both!" The nurse clasped her hands together and smiled, "Both of your children are very healthy, and the younger sister is even carrying twins."
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