"Triggering abnormal effects through information exchange—under such conditions, we might not be able to conduct intelligence gathering at all."
Knowing that now was not the time to keep questioning what was real or fake, Kaguya quickly adjusted her mindset and began to analyze.
"No. During that operation, I carefully went over Shijō-san's experience with her. The reason she saw things she shouldn't have was probably because she read through all the clues in one go. So next time, if we find written clues again, what we should do is read them separately. For example, if we find a sheet of paper with writing on it, we'll first have one person read the upper half, then another read the lower half, and finally the two exchange the information they learned. If it's something uncertain, we can even have a third or fourth person read it to ensure greater safety."
Takumi shook his head, immediately rejecting Kaguya's idea and putting forward a new suggestion.
"So next, it's time to investigate Room 206's kitchen? But according to what you said, the corpses inside the rooms will definitely move at night if the owner isn't present—and even during the day, some corpses may still move. That means Yamamoto-san probably can't come down with us. Once he leaves, the thing in this room might not stay quiet."
At that moment, Maki spoke slowly, her gaze fixed on the half-burned wardrobe at the side of the living room.
From the half-open door of the wardrobe, one could see a charred, incomplete corpse lying inside. Because the body had been severely damaged, Yamamoto Hiroshi hadn't recognized what it was at first when he investigated the room. But later, after further investigation by Takumi and the others, they quickly figured out the situation with this thing.
The final conclusion was simple.
Takumi, Kaguya, and Maki would be responsible for investigating the kitchen and checking whether there was an entrance leading to the first floor.
Green and Yamamoto Hiroshi would remain on the second floor, keeping watch over the hanging clock left there and watching over Maeda Miwa, who was still too frightened to move properly after being terrified by the corpse. If they noticed a significant change in time, they were to go to the kitchen immediately and inform Takumi and the others to return.
"Don't worry. I definitely won't let this stupid woman start screaming again like before."
Before Takumi and the others set out, Green patted his chest confidently as he spoke, then glared fiercely at Maeda Miwa, who sat on the floor shivering. Incidentally, she had been ordered to wear a soundproof mask—one of those that could muffle even snoring to the point of barely being heard outside a room. Once she put it on, it did a fine job of suppressing her screams.
"Is all of this… really real?"
Looking at Takumi, who was preparing to enter the kitchen, Yamamoto Hiroshi raised his head in exhaustion and muttered the question.
"You think sitting here looking all depressed will make these things turn fake?"
Takumi only said that to him, then turned and walked into the kitchen.
Too much time had already been spent regrouping the team.
Now, it was time to focus on the real task at hand.
Thinking this, Takumi lifted his head and looked at the kitchen before him.
To be honest, Room 206's kitchen wasn't much different from those of 204 and 208—just as filthy, with the same electric stove and sink still functional. The dish rack was piled high with dust-covered plates and chopsticks, and the window nailed shut with wooden planks let in a faint light. The whole place reeked of decay. Of course, it wasn't entirely identical; for instance, this kitchen had no refrigerator, and on one side of the floor lay several empty cardboard boxes.
"Looks like packaging boxes from a fruit company."
Takumi glanced at the packaging on the cardboard box. When he realized he couldn't recognize the brand, he muttered something under his breath, then moved the box aside—quickly revealing a collapsed hollow hidden beneath it.
Getting a little closer, he could feel the damp air rushing out.
Beneath the caved-in floor, he could just barely make out what seemed to be another kitchen structure. It was pitch-black, and there seemed to be something down on the ground?
Behind him, Maki and Kaguya had already arrived.
Standing at the very front, Takumi didn't hesitate—he took a deep breath and jumped down.
[Whoosh—]
Cold wind brushed past his ears.
The drop seemed slightly longer than expected, the light around him rapidly dimming, and soon a chill began spreading through the air.
[Splash!]
The sound of water splattering was unusually clear at that instant.
Takumi's feet touched solid ground.
But before landing, what he first felt was a biting cold sensation seeping into his toes and spreading up to his calves.
It was water pooled here—
Water that had completely flooded this floor, deep enough to submerge most of Takumi's calves.
"How's it down there? Are you okay?"
Maki's slightly tense voice came from above. Beside her, Kaguya—holding the wall clock—was already prepared to turn the dial at any time.
Since they didn't know the exact situation beneath the hole, both girls crouched near the edge with high alert. Kaguya even wore earplugs, ready for any accident and for the worst possible outcome.
Fortunately, this time, nothing unexpected happened.
"I'm fine. It doesn't look too bad down here, but part of the area's flooded. One of you come down and guard the kitchen door. I'll go check the living room and the hallway outside. The water's cold—be careful when you come down."
Takumi looked up at the two above and called back, then slowly walked toward the kitchen door.
[Splash, splash—splash, splash—]
The cold water that reached his calves rippled with each of his steps.
It was now extremely dark all around. There were no lights—only faint light filtering through the crack in the ceiling, just enough to barely make out the half-open kitchen door and, beyond it, the dark and gloomy living room, as well as what seemed like some kind of altar placed to one side of the room.
Takumi saw no windows.
Though the room layout here resembled that of 206, there were no windows at all.
The living room floor was also flooded. The sofa and bed were already covered in moss, and the cabinet on one side of the room had rotted to the point of being completely deformed.
[Splash, splash—]
Takumi slowly stepped into the living room area.
"Uu…"
After a splash sounded behind him, Maki had also jumped down. Shivering at the chill of the floodwater, she carefully followed after him.
"This place feels like it was abandoned after a flood."
Standing beside Takumi, Maki spoke softly.
"Looks that way. I'll go check up ahead—you stay here. If I don't come back within 5 minutes, have Shionomiya-san turn the dial."
Takumi nodded as he spoke, then proceeded forward.
Behind him, Maki parted her lips slightly, wanting to say something, but in the end she remained silent.
In truth, she very much wanted to know—during that rollback Takumi mentioned, the one she had no memory of—whether anything else had happened.
Because when she had walked out from Room 208, when her memoryless self had first seen Takumi, she could clearly feel the complex emotions reflected in his gaze.
Including later, when she and Kaguya had suspected Takumi, he had also clearly shown a desire to gain her trust.
He trusted her deeply, believed in her completely.
But she knew nothing about him at all, and had no idea where such trust came from.
It really bothered her… But yes—now was not the time to dwell on such things.
[Creak—]
Just as Maki was forcing herself to calm down, Takumi, on the other side, had already opened the living room door leading to the hallway.
The corridor outside had a layout no different from that of the second floor, yet on this level Takumi did not see any wall clock. Instead, there was a small table placed by the door, and on top of it lay an old, yellowed newspaper—its surface corroded badly by the damp air.
"I found a newspaper. I can't make out the text clearly from here."
Takumi spoke softly toward Maki not far away, then carefully looked again toward the far end of the corridor.
It was too dark.
He couldn't see anything ahead in the hallway at all.
The entire building was basically engulfed in darkness, and judging from this trend, most likely this entire floor was the same—immersed in complete, lightless blackness, with every single room's floor flooded.
"I understand. I don't see anything unusual here. Please be careful."
Maki's quiet voice came from the kitchen doorway not far away.
Takumi turned his head toward the living room.
Someone was sitting on the damp sofa, head lowered as if asleep.
Takumi's gaze swiftly shifted in that direction—but all he saw was an empty, tattered sofa.
[Splash—]
In silence, he began stepping toward where Maki was.
[Splash—]
In the water behind him, something seemed to slowly rise from below the surface, shaped vaguely like a human silhouette.
Takumi turned his head once more—but saw nothing at all.
"What happened?"
Not far away, Maki noticed Takumi's movement and immediately asked.
"Nothing… I didn't see anything, just felt something unpleasant. Maybe we've got a few shy friends down here?"
Making a joke that wasn't funny at all, Takumi quickly returned to the kitchen doorway.
Taking advantage of the slightly brighter light there, he picked up that worn, decayed old newspaper and looked at the text on it.
The headline read:
[Major Flood Period — Suburban Evacuation Notice for Old Apartment Residents]
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