Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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Finding the missing person went surprisingly smoothly.

After a short while, they found the female player, Ms. Tanaka, who had been left behind in a room.

"Ms. Tanaka!" Umi's eyes brightened, and she waved cheerfully. "I finally found you!"

Tears welled up in Ms. Tanaka's eyes as she rushed over from her hiding spot. "Umi-chan... I thought you had left me behind!"

"Ahahaha~" Umi awkwardly looked away, guilt creeping over her. 

'Sorry.'

She couldn't deny it. 'I really did forget about her for a moment.'

"Did we see each other before?" Ms. Tanaka asked, her gaze curious as it fell on Amamiya's face.

"Indeed, we've met," Amamiya replied meaningfully. "You even invited me to unclog the sewer."

"Eh hey hey?!" 

"…" 

In contrast to the awkward exchange, Kaguya remained calm and collected. "Let's talk about this later. For now, let's leave the hotel."

"Eh?" The female player was startled. "Leave? Isn't it impossible to leave?"

"It was, but that's in the past," Umi said, placing her hand on her waist. "The strange nightmare of the hotel has been resolved. We'll explain everything to you later, but for now, let's just get out of here."

"…" 

The group quickly left the room and hurried outside.

As they passed by the courtyard, Amamiya suddenly felt a pair of resentful eyes on him. He turned around to see a figure in a yukata standing in the corner, silently watching him. He could vaguely make out a dangerous-looking hairstyle.

"That figure..." Chika whispered, "Why does it look a little like Ms. Nakagawa?"

Amamiya paused. 'Wait…'

Why did he suddenly feel guilty?

'No...' He shook off the feeling. 

As a RTN warrior, getting emotionally involved was the last thing he needed!

Fortunately, Ms. didn't approach them or ask questions like, "Did we ever love each other?" She just stood there, staring at Amamiya's back with a faint, unreadable expression.

A moment later, Ms. Tanaka spoke up in surprise.

"Really, we can leave?" She looked wide-eyed at the door that had once been impossible to open. Now, it stood unblocked, easily accessible.

"As I said before," Umi remarked with confidence, "the strange happenings at the hotel have been solved."

Umi placed her hand on her waist and began explaining the entire ordeal with the haunted inn. As she spoke, Komi's eyes widened, and she trembled at the details.

"It's so dangerous..." she murmured.

Sajuna couldn't help but raise her small face and, unnoticed by the others, quietly tugged at Amamiya's sleeve.

"Um?" Amamiya glanced down at her.

Sajuna whispered, "...Thank you for your hard work."

"Are you worried about me, Sajuna?" Amamiya asked with a soft smile.

"I'm not," she huffed, quickly looking away. "I'm not a child!"

"Then why are you acting like one?" Amamiya teased, his voice light.

Sajuna glared at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm a 17-year-old high school girl, not a child!"

"Hey, there's a light in that room!" Umi's eyes gleamed as she pointed to a distant building. "Could there be humans living in there?"

It was late at night, and the town was cast in darkness. Most buildings were unlit, save for a few that flickered with candles and lights. 

The warmth of those lights in the otherwise darkened town was oddly comforting.

"It's probably another ghost story," Chika said, her expression serious. She raised a finger and began to recount their experience at the Neighbour House. "It was during that time that we found Komi-san."

"It feels like there's danger lurking everywhere in this town," the succubus girl said with a shiver, her arms crossed. "Is there any place that's truly safe?"

"There is," Amamiya replied, his gaze fixed ahead. He hadn't realized it, but they had unknowingly returned to the restaurant. "We're here."

"…" 

"Manager, I'm back."

Amamiya lifted the curtain and stepped into the restaurant. He glanced around, noting the absence of the elderly couple from earlier. Instead, a few diners sat at tables, their expressions gloomy and impatient, all turning to stare at Amamiya.

In the corner, two unfamiliar faces caught his attention. From their clothing and age, they stood out in the eerie town—likely other players.

Amamiya turned his attention to the fish tank, noticing the goldfish swimming inside.

"Young man, it's good to see you again." 

Miss Sakurako, dressed in a yukata, stood and greeted him. She covered her mouth with a round fan, her brows curved in a playful smile. "I thought you might never come back."

Amamiya smiled back. "I haven't made the most amazing dish for you yet, Miss Sakurako. Of course, I couldn't leave without doing that."

"Mm~" Miss Sakurako teased, narrowing her eyes. "Then you should go home with your sister."

"Sorry, I'm into a legal loli."

Miss Sakurako stepped closer, taking a deep sniff of the air around him. "Oh, you actually went to the hotel?"

Not only had he gone there, but he had also unlocked the hotel map, which made Palace Bars Brother absolutely ecstatic!

"Chika, lead everyone" Amamiya turned and addressed Kaguya, Umi, and the others, "It's already late. You should eat something first."

Since entering Ghost Story Town, only Chika had eaten. Kaguya and the others had not, and they were all starving. 

The dungeon was set to last forty-eight hours in total, and Amamiya knew it was essential to replenish energy along the way. You couldn't simply push through on willpower alone.

Before entering, Amamiya had already given out "living expenses" to the girls.

"Everyone, follow me." Chika waved, clearly taking charge as a "regular customer." "The manager's food is amazing. I've had it before, though it's a bit expensive… but don't worry, just eat."

The two passerby players in the corner stared in disbelief.

No caution at all—they just ordered without a second thought. This was a town full of ghost stories! Weren't they afraid they'd die?

"Well, it's best not to eat..." 

One of the players approached and discreetly slipped a note to Chika. It read that the player had seen someone who couldn't pay their bill turn into seafood, only to be tossed into the fish tank.

"Amamiya-kun," Chika said hurriedly, "There's another player in the fish tank."

Amamiya nodded. "I saw it."

"Young man, we can't keep waiting," Miss Sakurako said, signaling with her eyes. "Let's move past the small talk."

"Understood," Amamiya responded, then turned to the store manager. "I've reserved that fish."

The old store manager didn't say a word but merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

The next step was clear: the home of dark cuisine.

At first, the ghost stories seemed full of resentment, cold, and frightening. But after consuming the food, it was as though they had become entirely different people. The passersby in the corner were left stunned by the transformation.

Meanwhile, a few of the girls, including Kaguya and Umi, were happily eating, unconcerned with the eerie atmosphere of the restaurant. It was a stark contrast to the usual reactions of players.

As the last of the dark dishes was finished, Amamiya finally had a moment to rest. He exhaled a deep sigh of relief, then divided the spoils with Miss Sakurako and the store manager. Afterward, he turned to her and asked:

"Miss Sakurako, how's the situation progressing?"

Miss Sakurako, fanning herself gently, replied cheerfully, "Well~ the girl with blonde pigtails and glasses seems to be from a school."