Ijichi Nijika left immediately, quickly returning to the cave.
"Kitahara-kun, can I borrow the answer book for a moment?"
Ijichi Nijika didn't make excuses, extending her right hand directly.
Kitahara Makoto knew perfectly well, but still feigned confusion:
"What does Ryo-senpai need the answer book for?"
"Don't ask so many questions, I have a use for it."
"Yes, yes."
"..."
Kitahara Makoto found the answer book and handed it over.
Ijichi Nijika took the answer book and quickly left the cave.
"So mysterious..." Kita wrapped her left arm around her chest and pressed her right hand to her brow, striking Conan Edogawa's classic pose. "Ryo-senpai and Nijika are definitely hiding something from us."
"It's normal to have secrets... No need to worry, right?"
Gotō Hitori stammered, softly trying to persuade her.
"Not necessarily, it depends on the situation," Kita said earnestly. "As the saying goes, 'the bystanders see more than the players.' People often lose their rationality when faced with sudden situations... From the moment I met Ryo-senpai until now, Ryo-senpai has never been so flustered. It must be something huge, right?"
"At a time like this, Ryo-senpai might make a rash, incorrect judgment, so it's necessary for us to figure out the secret and then help."
Kitahara Makoto: "..."
That's a good idea.
Unfortunately, the soul in Ryo's body right now is Nijika, so it's perfectly normal for her to be flustered.
At the same time.
Outside the cave.
"I got the answer book."
Ijichi Nijika dashed over to Ryo, letting out a small breath. "I'll ask... How can I switch bodies back with Ryo?"
Rustle, rustle.
The answer book flipped pages rapidly.
A line of text appeared on the blank page:
[Kessoku Band bracelet + Soul Resonance Frequency]
Ijichi Nijika was immediately disappointed:
"I thought we could just switch back after a good night's sleep..."
"That's a Soul Swap, it's definitely not going to be easy," Yamada Ryo said expressionlessly, her hands crossed over her chest. "Soul Resonance Frequency sounds a bit hard to understand, but since we already have experience, we can probably guess how to achieve resonance... It seems I need to wear the bracelet with Nijika again and [BEEP--] together."
"What is Ryo saying?!"
Facing Ryo's lewd words, Ijichi Nijika's pretty face quickly flushed red.
Oh no!
This is too terrible!
As a girl, you should be a little more reserved!
"What's so terrible?" Yamada Ryo tilted her head and looked over. "Nijika has already experienced it..."
"This topic ends here! Don't say another word!"
Ijichi Nijika quickly interrupted her, took a deep breath, and said with a tense face:
"Ryo, you ask if there's any other way for us to switch bodies besides that terrible method."
Yamada Ryo nodded slightly, took the answer book, and asked what the next solution for switching bodies was. However, this time, the answer that appeared on the book was actually the name of a ghost story.
"A ghost story, huh..."
Ijichi Nijika sighed helplessly, her heart already subconsciously making a choice.
One answer was a terrifying ghost story she had never heard of, seemingly capable of manipulating others' souls. Not to mention whether she could even find the other party, even if she did, why would a ghost story agree to help with a Soul Swap?
The possibility of being directly killed was clearly greater.
And the other option was to ask Kitahara Makoto for help, which would be safe and comfortable...
Ijichi Nijika quickly shook her head, chasing the bad thoughts out of her mind.
"Well. It seems we can only ask Kitahara for help."
Yamada Ryo put her hands behind her back, and a joyful smile suddenly appeared on her pretty face.
"Ryo, what are you smiling about?"
Seeing the smile on 'her own' face, Ijichi Nijika's heart skipped a beat.
"Well, I suddenly thought of something interesting," Yamada Ryo tilted her head and said casually. "We can only ask Kitahara-kun to help us switch bodies back, so... will Nijika use my body to do that kind of thing, or will I use Nijika's body to do that kind of thing?"
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
One option is her own soul in Ryo's body, and the other is Ryo's soul in her own body. No matter what she chooses, it's super terrible!
Why... why did she impulsively put on the bracelet?!
If she had just resisted putting on the bracelet, nothing would have happened, right?
Ijichi Nijika regretted it.
She regretted it terribly.
Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a regret pill in the world, so now she can only reap what she sowed.
"How about I take Nijika's first time?" Yamada Ryo raised her right hand and said casually, "With my help, Nijika won't have to be afraid of pain later."
"No way!"
Ijichi Nijika instinctively refused.
That was a first experience that only happened once in a lifetime, there was no way she would let Ryo take her place!
Yamada Ryo said airily:
"In that case, Nijika, you use my body to make a move on Kitahara-kun."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
Although she really wanted to switch bodies back immediately, it definitely wouldn't happen today.
Firstly, she couldn't get past the psychological barrier; even in Ryo's body, she wouldn't have the nerve to make a move on Kitahara Makoto. Secondly, she was now sore all over, clearly having reached her limit.
The two girls returned to the cave, returned the answer book to Kitahara Makoto, and then sat down to eat the freshly cooked cup noodles.
With food and drink, a bonfire, and blankets for warmth, aside from the still harsh environment, it was indeed much like a Otherworld outing.
"Phew..."
After eating and drinking their fill, Ijichi Nijika raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned.
The physical fatigue affected her soul, and as weariness swept over her, Ijichi Nijika unknowingly fell asleep.
Waking up from her nap.
The emergency light in the cave still emitted a soft white glow, and outside, the unchanging oil painting sky remained. Only the bonfire had quietly extinguished at some point.
"Hmm... What time is it?"
Ijichi Nijika rubbed her eyes and sat up.
"I don't know what time it is, but the hourglass has flipped back and forth ten times already," Kita, who was sitting nearby reading a light novel, looked up when she heard this. "Ryo-senpai actually slept for so long. Was patrolling the island too tiring?"
Ijichi Nijika's pretty face flushed red at the words, and she mumbled vaguely:
"Something like that..."
Patrolling the island wasn't tiring; the truly exhausting part was bathing by the sea. Unfortunately, she couldn't possibly say it out loud, and she had to help conceal the truth.
"Ryo-senpai, have some water," Gotō Hitori handed her a bottle of mineral water. "Then wash your face and brush your teeth, you'll feel more comfortable."
"Thank you, Hitori-chan..."
Ijichi Nijika subconsciously whispered her thanks.
"Eh, Ryo-senpai is so gentle today."
Kita looked over in surprise.
Only then did Ijichi Nijika remember that she was currently in Ryo's identity. She quickly sat up straight and changed the subject:
"Why are only you two in the cave? Where are Kitahara-kun and Ryo... and Nijika?"
"Ryo-senpai and Kitahara-kun went out. The firewood and dry grass in the cave have run out, so they're going to collect some more."
Kita Ikuyo's voice was clear.
"Is that so..."
Ijichi Nijika tilted her head back and drank two sips of water. She still felt uneasy, so she prepared to walk out of the cave to check on the situation.
Although Ryo's goal was clear—to drag her into this so she wouldn't be taken advantage of alone—she couldn't guarantee that Ryo wouldn't do something terrible with her body.
Fortunately, as soon as Ijichi Nijika walked out of the cave, she saw Kitahara Makoto and 'herself' walking together, accompanied by the golden-haired girl Rinko. The three were chatting and laughing, seemingly quite happy.
Watching the three interact intimately, Ijichi Nijika felt a bitter pang in her heart:
"Now I'm an outsider..."
"Ryo-senpai, you're awake?" Kitahara Makoto looked over with concern. "Go wash your face and brush your teeth, then eat something. The game disc's cooldown time is up. After you're full, we'll enter the game space and continue the challenge."
"Okay..."
Ijichi Nijika agreed, gently pursing her pink lips, and looked at 'herself'.
"Don't worry, Nijika, I didn't tell Kitahara-kun the truth," Yamada Ryo raised her right hand, made a peace sign by her eye, and leaned in to whisper, "After all, concealing our identities is more fun."
Ijichi Nijika: "..."
This prankster is really too much!
That terrible situation isn't fun at all!
Ijichi Nijika raised her hand to her forehead, sighed helplessly, and walked to a corner to wash her face and brush her teeth.
Before entering the Otherworld, everyone had brought their own towels, toothbrushes, and toothpaste... In short, they were well-prepared.
Compared to the previous deserted island survival, this Otherworld trip was indeed more like a picnic.
After washing up.
The girls then simply ate something.
Kitahara Makoto and the girls sat in a circle, took out the game disc, and activated the virtual game space again.
Two minutes later.
The girls all opened their eyes.
Unlike last time, this time the girls' faces were full of excitement.
"We cleared it! We cleared it!"
"We finally defeated the first slime Boss!"
"Hmph, we've really gotten stronger, haven't we?"
"..."
The girls chattered excitedly.
The slime Boss that had been blocking everyone's path was finally defeated by the girls' combined efforts, filling them with a sense of accomplishment.
After defeating the slime Boss, the girls' evaluations were naturally not low; basically, everyone inherited the corresponding character abilities.
Especially the golden-haired girl, her eyes shone even brighter as she looked at Kitahara Makoto, like a dragon coveting treasure.
Others might not know, but she had been struggling in the Otherworld for so long, and she understood very clearly how valuable it was to be able to bestow extraordinary power upon others.
Having narrowly escaped death several times in the Otherworld, she had naturally encountered other unfortunate souls, and even had two or three companions at one point. However, everyone was just a pathetic worm struggling in the Otherworld.
While some special items in the Otherworld possessed special powers, those powers were often accompanied by curses, just like her previous necklace—it was merely drinking poison to quench thirst.
But at this moment, Kitahara Makoto not only possessed incredible power himself, but he could even enable others to have supernatural abilities. Although it was only temporary power, it still made the golden-haired girl marvel at him.
Exorcist?
Onmyoji?
The golden-haired girl didn't believe it at all; she only had one thought in her mind:
"Kitahara-kun couldn't possibly be a legendary god, could he?"