Swoosh—
Amidst the endless sound of rain, Takakai advanced cautiously down the dim hallway, his senses alert.
In his memory, this was his first time entering this corridor.
But the fully replenished pistol magazine told a different story - he'd clearly been here before, his explorations erased by the dungeon's memory-altering mechanics. The message on his hand - [Check ammo & rewrite each time] - confirmed it. He'd already rewritten it once with the pen he didn't recall acquiring.
How many times have I walked this path?
Testing a theory, he used his blood to draw a "sweating emoji" on the wall before proceeding.
Creak—
The hollow wooden floorboards announced each step.
Between the rain and footsteps, the corridor took on an eerie tranquility.
"...?"
Takakai frowned at the hallway mirror - grimy, cracked, and ancient. His reflection moved in sync, albeit blurred. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss... yet something about it unsettled him deeply.
[What's wrong? Something odd?]
A rough, featureless figure spoke beside him.
Takakai knew this was his companion, though the name and face escaped him. This was normal. Nothing to question.
"Just... this place feels off."
He shook his head, surveying the six indistinct shapes accompanying him.
They lacked faces, fingers, clothes - just crude humanoid silhouettes.
This was normal.
His friends. His allies.
[Doubting something? You can tell us.]
Another shadowy figure stepped forward cheerfully.
"Not yet. Let's keep moving."
Abandoning the corridor, Takakai turned to a side door.
Behind him, unnoticed, the figures grew fainter when unobserved... but didn't vanish entirely.
Something was changing.
But Takakai, focused on exploration, remained oblivious.
The bathroom beyond was pitch-black.
Takakai's flashlight revealed demolished stalls - shredded by some tremendous force. Dried blood stained the wreckage, alongside tattered child-sized clothing fragments.
[They got taken by the Black Shadows.]
A child's voice piped up beside him.
"Black Shadows?" Takakai turned to the suddenly-appearing child.
[They hid in stalls. Thought Black Shadows wouldn't find them. But Black Shadows knew. Because Black Shadows were their friends. Always following them.]
[So silly! You can't trick Black Shadows that way! Only teachers can stop Black Shadows. Except... sometimes teachers can't stop them either. Especially rule-breaking teachers.]
[Teacher... you broke rules too~]
The child grinned humorlessly.
Teacher?
The designation made Takakai's frown deepen.
Since when was I a teacher? Why don't I remember this?
Then he saw the writing on his hand.
The pistol materialized. A check confirmed the replenished magazine.
Once more, reality reasserted itself.
[Teacher, your time's running out.]
The child had vanished.
[Nothing here. Let's go.]
[Come on, we've got to keep moving!]
[Hayasaka's still waiting...]
Rough hands patted Takakai's shoulders - his companions urging him onward.
"...Right. Nothing useful here."
Blinking hard, Takakai holstered the gun.
As he exited, his gaze caught childish scrawls on the doorframe:
[THIS IS WHAT YOU DESERVE!!!]
The jagged letters radiated inexplicable fury... and satisfaction.
Meanwhile, in the auditorium...
Kaguya moved silently between chairs, surrounded by children's voices she couldn't quite decipher - as if separated by an invisible barrier.
A notebook lay abandoned on a small chair.
The voices had mentioned rumors here. Perhaps clues?
Inside, two children's conversations unfolded in alternating handwriting (which Kaguya mentally labeled A and B):
[A: Heard the school has cool urban legends! Wanna hear?]
[B: But teachers forbid that! They'll hit us!]
[A: Exactly why it's probably true! Adults fear what we might discover. Anyway, know the "Black Shadow Friend" tale?]
[B: No? What's that?]
[A: Monsters born from memories. Hear a name or story, and a Black Shadow takes that form - becoming your secret friend only you can see.]
[B: Sounds nice! Could mine be a superhero?]
[A: It's a horror story! The longer they stay, the more their real form shows. Others start seeing them too. And you won't notice anything wrong - the legend's power blinds you.]
[B: Creepy... but why would they do this?]
[A: They feed on your energy to grow stronger. At first weak and invisible, then tangible to all. Once strong enough... they eat their "friend."]
[B: Gross! Tell me something else!]
[A: Sure! Though I like this one - there are multiple Black Shadow types. But hey... wanna be friends? Nobody talks to me much.]
[B: Okay! What's your name? What class?]
[A: That's my secret~]
As Kaguya closed the notebook, the children's voices abruptly ceased.
Only her breathing remained in the sudden silence.
Turning, she saw them - the shadowy figures watching her patiently.
Her friends. Her allies in rescuing Hayasaka.
Their names escaped her... but that didn't matter. Everything was normal.
No leads here. Must search elsewhere... Hayasaka, where are you?
[We'll find her. Don't worry.]
[We're with you. Try another place.]
[What about upstairs? You haven't checked there yet.]
Their support was comforting.
Kaguya hugged herself absently as she returned to the lobby, eyeing the staircase.
Maybe upstairs holds answers...
Her shoulders tensed inexplicably.
[Something wrong?]
"...No."
But things weren't right.
Her missing undergarment - when? How? Why did this simultaneously feel normal and wrong?
The cognitive dissonance made her head throb.
Yet her expression remained placid as she ascended.