You’re Telling Me This Is a Slice-of-Life?

A three-way alliance?

Hearing those words, Hayasaka Ai felt a mix of confusion and disappointment.

Teaming up with this man made sense—both of them had demonstrated their value. Especially Yuuki, whose rationality, combat ability, and professionalism left her deeply satisfied. On top of that, given that he was undoubtedly in Japan, he wouldn’t dare backstab her so easily.

The perfect partner. But why bring her along?

Hayasaka Ai glanced back and forth between the two, her expression growing more and more suggestive. Covering her mouth, she chuckled. “Yuuki-san, it seems you have quite the unrealistic fantasies about the entertainment industry.”

Sakurajima Mai’s grip on her knife trembled violently. Yuuki also felt a headache coming on, but there was no way to refute her suspicions.

“I never abandon my comrades. I keep my word.”

“You call that being comrades?”

“More or less. And considering she dared to seek me out, I’d say we can drop the ‘more or less.’” Yuuki sheathed his blade. He couldn’t exactly say that Sakurajima Mai might prove useful in the future, so he opted for an analogy instead.

“We’re players, but we still have our own principles. If I were to ditch you the moment I found a better partner, that’d make me a pretty scummy person.”

The blonde tilted her head slightly. Upon careful thought, she had to admit there was some logic to his words. If this guy were truly the type to do anything to survive, that earlier strike would’ve sliced through both her and the monster without hesitation.

Reluctantly, she accepted his reasoning. Time would tell whether he was being sincere or just bluffing.

“Fine, but let me remind you—trying to act cool in this kind of game is really dangerous ok~”

“Relax. I’m more professional than you are.” Yuuki rolled his eyes. Hayasaka Ai’s constant shifts in persona made her difficult to pin down.

But one thing was certain—her desire to survive was no weaker than his own.

“Ma-sani, come here. Since we’re allies now, let’s plan things out properly.” He turned and gestured toward the girl standing motionless above them.

Unexpectedly, Sakurajima Mai didn’t move. This reaction was surprising. She had assumed that, at best, these two would take her back to regroup. But now they were calling her an ally?

“Why? I doubt I’ll be much help to you.” She looked skeptical. When the monster appeared earlier, she could barely maintain a clear mind, let alone fight.

[Does she not yet know she has that ability? Right—she hasn’t displayed it at all since entering the game.]

Now that the tension had eased, Yuuki noticed an oversight. But he couldn’t exactly ask, ‘Where’s your Adolescence Syndrome?’ Instead, he stroked his chin, his expression deep and thoughtful.

“I know your value better than you do.”

That statement left Sakurajima Mai even more bewildered. She wracked her brain, then suddenly covered her chest, her face turning red as she took a defensive stance.

The two hadn’t spent much time together, and the only suggestive comment Yuuki had ever made was something about her outfit being ‘quite bold.’ Naturally, her thoughts drifted in that direction.

Hayasaka Ai nearly lost it at the scene, turning her head away. “Pfft, your ability to charm girls is seriously lacking.”

“Mind your own business!”

Sakurajima Mai watched the two bicker, and for some reason, her body instinctively moved down the stone steps. The wary expression she had worn moments ago vanished without a trace.

For better or worse, these two looked more like normal people now—people, not cold-blooded players struggling for survival.

As the bunny girl senpai approached, Yuuki’s smile became more genuine.

In this death game, maintaining rationality was a necessity. But if you became nothing more than a machine running on logic, how could you ever write the word ‘trust’?

Just like Hayasaka Ai’s ever-changing masks, one’s mindset had to shift depending on the people and circumstances at play.

Having survived the ‘gift’ sent by the BloodMoon, their small group had finally taken shape. In the silence of the underground, they retraced their experiences over the past five hours.

Five hours that felt longer than five years. Each of them had gone through unimaginable things. Now that they had a brief moment of safety, they could finally exchange information.

“Hints 1, 4, and 6 have all proven problematic. That eerie voice wasn’t joking—it just phrased things ambiguously. We have to experience them firsthand to understand how dangerous they truly are.” Leaning against the wall, Yuuki rubbed his forehead repeatedly. Among the three, his ability to analyze intel was the strongest.

Hint 1: The ghouls will devour your flesh and blood. Hint 4: At certain intervals, the Blood Moon will send its gifts. Hint 6: Do not go alone.

Hayasaka Ai and Sakurajima Mai mentally reviewed these words, their growing realization sending chills down their spines.

“Yeah, that monster definitely resembled an ghoul. It was likely one of the Blood Moon’s gifts. As for being alone… we’ve all experienced the consequences—it makes you emotionally unstable.” Just moments ago, Hayasaka Ai had been casually discussing shampoo with Sakurajima Mai like a Shibuya girl. Now, she had seamlessly switched to player mode.

“Unstable? What I felt was fear—like walking through absolute darkness, my consciousness on the verge of being swallowed.” Sakurajima Mai interjected, glancing at Hayasaka Ai. She had to admit, this girl’s acting skills were impressive.

“So everyone experiences something different. This game amplifies our inner emotions.”

“And the end result?”

“No idea, but I doubt it’s better than having your head split open.” Yuuki replied nonchalantly. Seeing the two girls grimace in disgust, his grin widened. “One thing’s for sure—these hints are all connected.”

Both of them nodded without hesitation. Then, as if struck by the same thought, they spoke in unison.

“Wait, that means Hint 3…”

Talking with smart people was always easy—they raised the right questions themselves.

Yuuki’s smile turned bitter. Right. Hint 3: Time will continue to slip away, just like your life and hope.

That meant there was a time limit. And it was likely tied to the other hints. In other words, the next ‘gift’ would be even more terrifying. At a certain point, even veteran players would have no way out.

“So we’re doomed?” Hayasaka Ai’s face turned pale. She knew all too well where her limits lay.

“Not necessarily. Do you guys remember the very first line…” Sakurajima Mai hesitated, then, seeing Yuuki’s inviting gesture, steeled herself and continued. “Survive until the third day. If they’re saying ‘days,’ then there should be both daytime and nighttime. It shouldn’t be based purely on clock time.”

Her statement was a bit out of the blue—at least, it wasn’t something you’d expect from a mere ‘pretty face.’ Hayasaka Ai eyed her suspiciously, then suddenly realized.

“Just like that movie, Night Of Terror. I totally forgot—you played the little girl in that. Though, uh… your death was pretty gruesome.”

“Hayasaka-san, that last part was unnecessary.”

Yuuki ignored Sakurajima MaiMai’s exasperated look. Inspiration struck him instantly.

He had seen Night Of Terror before. The plot revolves around an apartment complex where ghosts emerge at night to kill people. But, just like in a polar night, even after twenty-four hours, the sun never rose. Naturally, the ending was a total wipeout.

The similarities to their current situation were uncanny. The moon had been hanging in the sky for five straight hours without setting. If they didn’t solve this, would they end up just like in the movie?

Sakurajima Mai’s thought was valuable—it felt like they had a lead on solving the puzzle. But… it was already five in the morning. The blood-red moon hadn’t budged an inch, let alone shown any sign of setting.

“Got any ideas?”

“A little, but not much.” Yuuki shook his head lightly. He had identified the problem, but the solution still eluded him. Muttering to himself, he asked, “Do you guys think there’s any significance to the second hint?”

Hint 2: Except for the castle, no location can be occupied for more than two hours.

At first glance, it seemed like a way to lower the difficulty. If they couldn’t camp out in the castle indefinitely, were they supposed to charge outside and fight the endless tide of ghouls? Even a veteran player would be exhausted to death.

Both girls shook their heads. Hayasaka Ai pondered momentarily before saying, “It seems like it’s meant to leave us a sliver of hope, but I don’t think this game is that kindhearted.”

“That’s exactly the issue. I’ve noticed the game is somewhat misleading—for example, this castle looks safe, but in reality, it’s riddled with danger.”

“True. When we first arrived, I thought the biggest problem would be food and water, since the walls kept the monsters out. But then…”

“…then the surprises turned out to be even deadlier. Honestly, a person can survive two days without eating or drinking.”

“No water either?” Sakurajima Mai interjected, only to be met with two meaningful gazes. She immediately shut her mouth.

When it came to survival, there were… plenty of things that could be consumed.

So this game despises shortcuts—the key lies in finding clues?

Yuuki glanced at the abyss-like depths below and decided to follow where it led. If the goal was to search for clues, staying put wasn’t an option.

“There’s something bad down there,” Hayasaka Ai warned.

“There’s something bad everywhere in this hellhole. Let’s just check it out first. At least there’s no moonlight here—that might come in handy.”

Gripping the hilt of his blade, Yuuki took the lead. The stone staircase was long, stretching down at least twenty or thirty meters, even counting the turns.

Another arched doorway appeared ahead, illuminated by a faint, nuclear-powered-looking wall lamp. Yuuki suddenly pressed himself against the wall, making the two behind him jump. He quickly peeked ahead.

A dungeon?

Beyond the doorway was yet another corridor, but unlike the first basement level, both sides were lined with tightly packed iron bars. About ten meters ahead, the path took a turn—strange noises were coming from around the corner.

Whoosh.

It sounded a bit like wind, accompanied by the metallic clatter of chains.

Gulp.

Yuuki heard the sound of his throat tightening. Then, he felt a tug on his sleeve. He half-turned and saw Hayasaka Ai and Sakurajima Mai shaking their heads in perfect unison.

“You two wait here. I’ll just take a quick look.”

“Hey, if you get yourself killed, don’t drag us down with you.”

“As long as you two stick together, you’re not alone—nothing to be afraid of.” Yuuki pulled his arm free. He wasn’t looking to die; he just had a gut feeling that whatever was around that corner was worth investigating.

Just one look. Just a peek.

He crept forward on tiptoe, the tension making his back prickle with cold. The short ten-meter distance felt like an eternity. He fixated on the wall at the corner.

It took him a full minute to inch closer. Pressing his back against the wall, he took a deep breath—then, in one swift motion, he darted his head out.

A single glimpse.

His blood-red pupils froze.

His mouth opened.

With perfect enunciation, he uttered:

“F*ck!”