"So what's 'Earth's Cancer' supposed to mean?" Chika puffed up her cheeks indignantly. "Giving a girl a title like that is way too mean!"
"It really is too much."
Natsuki looked at the title the game had given him.
Evil of This World?
He was law-abiding and honest, and this was only his second time in the game as a newbie player. How did he become the Evil of This World?
Conspiracy. There had to be a conspiracy!
"Hey, wait." Chika suddenly leaned forward, eyes wide, looking at Kaguya. "That 'Weak and Helpless Princess Kaguya' has to be Kaguya-chan, right?"
"That's not me."
Kaguya's face was expressionless.
Chika leaned in further, eyes sparkling. "Kaguya-chan is so amazing, so why did the game rate her as weak and helpless?"
(How would I know?!)
Kaguya bit her lower lip, silently telling herself not to care. But it was useless.
She still cared so much!
She, Kaguya Shinomiya, genius young lady—why did she get the worthless title?
This wasn't fair!
Though indignant inside, Kaguya maintained her cool exterior:
"You should worry about the wanted status first."
Natsuki didn't need Kaguya's reminder. His gaze had already fallen on the game log.
[Your actions have caused public outrage. You have been reported by multiple spirit students. You are now wanted]
[While wanted, you cannot leave the game world]
[Location updates every ten minutes]
[Wanted duration: Thirty minutes]
Natsuki furrowed his brow.
He hadn't done anything terrible. How did he end up wanted by the entire school?
Those spirit students who filed the joint report—don't your consciences hurt?
You're already vengeful spirits, yet you're still tattling to the school? Your mental fortitude is pathetic!
"Huh? We can't go back?"
Chika had also finished reading the game log and was getting nervous. "Class is about to start. Kiritsu-sensei is super scary. Being late would be terrible."
"What you should be worried about right now is how to survive, not something minor like being late and having to stand in the hallway." Natsuki couldn't help but retort.
At the same time.
The school broadcast echoed again with that cold, raspy voice:
"Current location of the three players: East corridor, second floor of the teaching building."
As the voice faded, the deathly still vengeful spirit school suddenly seemed to come alive.
Behind them in the death exam room, the classroom doors and windows suddenly began shaking. Muffled impacts and howls came from inside, as if the spirit students who had failed the exam were about to break through.
"Run!"
Natsuki made an instant decision and shouted.
Since they couldn't leave, they would have to find a way to survive.
No matter what, Natsuki refused to sit and wait for death.
The two girls instinctively followed.
"Amamiya-kun, where are we going?" Chika hurriedly asked.
At this moment, Natsuki's mind was exceptionally clear:
"We can't stay in open areas like corridors and the field. We need to find somewhere hidden and lay low for ten minutes."
"How about the rooftop?"
Kaguya calmly suggested.
"I agree." Chika's eyes lit up. "Students usually aren't allowed on the school rooftop. They'd never think we'd hide there."
The three passed through the corridor and were about to head up to the rooftop when Natsuki suddenly spotted a pair of blood-red high heels descending from above. Above the heels were just a pair of legs—and they were actually wearing a blue-and-white qipao.
To be fair, the legs were absolutely stunning. But having nothing but a pair of empty legs was genuinely terrifying.
Click. Click. Click.
Each step of those high heels felt like it was stepping directly on his heart. Extremely unsettling.
[Danger danger danger!]
[This path is blocked. Please stay away from the Leg Fairy immediately!]
Red warning text rapidly appeared before his eyes. Natsuki had no doubt that a giant "DANGER" character was floating above their heads.
He took a deep breath, stopped abruptly, and grabbed Kaguya and Chika—one in each hand—bringing both girls to a halt.
At the same time.
Chaotic footsteps echoed from the corridor behind them—clearly the failed students chasing after them.
Wolves ahead, tigers behind. Natsuki's expression remained calm as he pulled the two girls into the restroom at the corner of the stairwell.
"Get into a stall and stay quiet."
Natsuki gave the order in a low voice and entered a stall first.
Kaguya and Chika exchanged glances, then the two girls hid together in another stall.
The thundering footsteps outside the window quickly approached, then suddenly gave way to terrified apologies. The pursuing sounds swept past like a gust of wind and rapidly faded into the distance.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound of high heels on the floor was crisp and clear, then gradually faded away.
Only then did Natsuki have time to observe the restroom.
"When I came in, I think there was something missing from the wall... So this is the women's restroom?"
That wasn't important.
For survival, forget the women's restroom—even if it were the women's bathhouse, he'd charge right in.
Fortunately, the restroom was quite clean with a fresh smell. The lighting was just dim, as if about to go out at any moment, creating a oppressive atmosphere.
The stall door was covered in messy scribbles—unfamiliar names, random doodles, strange symbols... Nothing seemed particularly special.
Natsuki was seriously considering their next move when he suddenly heard Chika's voice from next door:
"Oh, thank you."
This was immediately followed by Kaguya's serious, grave voice: "...Amamiya-kun?"
Natsuki: "I'm here."
Chika: "Huh? Why is Amamiya-kun on the left?"
"I've been in the left stall the whole time." Natsuki raised an eyebrow slightly. "What's wrong with you two?"
"Just now, someone from the stall on the right passed two candies under the partition." Kaguya's tone was serious. "One red, one blue."
Natsuki's mouth twitched slightly. "Did Fujiwara-san eat them?"
"Of course I didn't eat them." Chika quickly denied. "This is a restroom. How could I eat anything here?"
What's wrong with restrooms?
Ever heard of toilet lunches?
Plenty of people hide in restrooms to eat.
Natsuki asked: "Then why did you say 'thank you' just now?"
"I took them." Chika stammered quietly. "I thought it was candy from Amamiya-kun. I just reflexively accepted them."
Even if they were from me, you should politely refuse. Even elementary schoolers know not to accept things from strangers. Who gives out candy in a bathroom?!
He had thought the restroom was "safe," but clearly it wasn't.
"Come out first and we'll talk." Natsuki said thoughtfully.
"Okay."
A few seconds later, Chika suddenly grew tense. "Strange, the stall door won't open."
Natsuki tried pushing his door. It opened easily. "I can open mine."
Stepping out of the stall, Natsuki surveyed the restroom.
Kaguya and Chika were in the second-to-last stall. The unknown creature that gave the candy was in the very last stall.
So being unable to get out was related to accepting someone else's candy?
"Stick your hand out." Natsuki quickly said. "Let me see the candy."
"Okay."
A hand emerged from the second-to-last stall. The skin was snow-white, luminous and lustrous, as if soaked in milk—looking sweet and fragrant. It was Earth's Cancer. In her hand were two differently colored candies.
At the same time.
From the last stall, another hand also emerged—except this skin was deathly pale, completely bloodless...