She didn't attack me immediately?
Standing face-to-face with the core obsession, the very root of the Shirasawa Elementary anomaly, Takakai had braced himself to be instantly devoured by the monstrous flower this little girl might summon. Yet, to his surprise, she didn't immediately strike.
Was it because I obtained the [Teacher] identity through Maki in the real world, shedding the [Liar] trigger and making her behavior relatively milder?
The exact reason remained unclear, but since she had followed him, it meant Takakai had triggered a rule—just one that didn't demand instant death. There was still a buffer period, however slim.
And he had to make use of it.
Excruciating pain still wracked his body and mind.
Yet, he wasn't dead.
Even though one version of himself had been torn apart, merging with the classroom.
Even though another had been decapitated, then reattached, becoming a mononoke—neither alive nor dead.
The reason he still existed lay with Hachiya Chiyo, now standing before him.
The conditions for this were extremely precise:
His body and mind were simultaneously under three different anomaly rules—two of which (the corrupted Kaguya and the classroom entity) had already killed him.But Hachiya Chiyo, the core obsession, hadn't acted yet.Thus, his existence entered a quantum superposition—dead/corrupted/alive—depending on the observer.As the highest-tier anomaly, Chiyo's observation prevented the other two states from solidifying.Combined with his indomitable will and the protection of his obsession artifact, he could endure the mental corrosion and reinforce his "alive" state.
Originally, Takakai had hoped to exploit clashing rules to survive. But now, with Chiyo not immediately attacking, the pressure had lessened—slightly.
But this was temporary.
Mononoke didn't act without reason. Chiyo had marked him after the radio broadcast—meaning he'd triggered a lethal rule. His death was inevitable; the only question was when. The current reprieve was just a procedural delay. If he did nothing, a reset was guaranteed.
And considering the KP's potential interference in a new cycle, Takakai couldn't afford to waste this chance—no matter how slim.
But what should he say?
The blood's protection had dulled the pain, allowing him to think clearly.
Key points:
Hachiya Chiyo despised lies. Any deception = instant death. Every word had to be truthful—both objectively and subjectively.She had likely been manipulated and killed by Shirasawa's researchers, then captured by the military. Her injuries (now visible—cigarette burns, bruises) suggested severe abuse in life.The game hints were tied to the core obsession. Shirasawa's four hints:[Obedient children won't be punished.][Teachers protect children.][Adults can't fool smart kids.][I need nothing. I'm no worse than anyone.]
Were some of these Chiyo's own words?
The cold aura around the girl intensified.
He had to speak—now.
"I'm not a teacher at Shirasawa Elementary. I'm from another school."
Takakai's voice was calm, measured.
The chill lessened slightly, but the danger remained.
"Shirasawa Elementary is abandoned. Rules of an abandoned school shouldn't apply. The principal has no authority over me. I don't need to follow his rules."
The girl tilted her head.
The cold receded further.
Because my words were logical and truthful, her hostility decreased?
[Teacher isn't lying~]
Her voice was soft, almost sweet.
Then Takakai saw it—the burns on her neck. Cigarette scars.
What the hell happened to this kid?
The mental and physical damage he'd suffered began to fade.
Chiyo's observation was suppressing the other two anomalies. The classroom couldn't fully absorb him; Kaguya couldn't drag him away. His fractured existence was collapsing toward "alive."
But this wasn't victory yet.
His survival hinged on this little girl—a walking apocalypse in a school uniform.
"Your name is Hachiya Chiyo, right? Can I… learn more about you?"
He avoided words like "help" or "protect." Given the hints, [Teachers protect children] was likely false—a potential death flag.
[I'm Hachiya Chiyo! Teacher wants to know about me? I'm a good girl! I'll answer properly!]
Suddenly, her wounds vanished. Her uniform cleaned itself.
The dark, bloodstained classroom transformed—sunlight streamed in. Desks repaired. Walls pristine.
Different dialogue triggers different memories? Different versions of her?
"What… what are your dreams? What do you want to achieve?"
He sounded like a guidance counselor, but he needed this intel.
[My dream? I want to be a good student! A top student! Get into a good school! Make lots of money! Then go back to the orphanage and help Uncle and Auntie! I want them to be proud of me!]
She beamed, swinging her arms excitedly.
[I want to be a singer! And a painter! I want to travel—Uncle talked about waterfalls and canyons! I want to see them! And I want to be an inventor! Auntie said inventors are amazing! Oh, and a food critic! I want to eat so many delicious things! And… and…]
She paused, fidgeting.
[I want to be rich. Uncle and Auntie work so hard. The other kids are always hungry. If I'm rich, no one will go hungry. But… is it greedy to want so many dreams?]
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
[I also want to… find my parents. Everyone else has parents who pick them up. Who make them lunch boxes. I've never had one. Maybe… maybe they're just too poor to keep me? I want to tell them I'm doing okay. I want to know what they look like. What they sound like. Do they like singing? Auntie taught us songs. I love singing. Would they… like my voice?]
Her words were fraught—longing buried under something darker.
Ding-dong— Ding-dong—
The school bell rang.
[Ah! Class is starting!]
She scurried toward the door.
The classroom's light dimmed. The bloodstains returned.
And headless Kaguya flickered back into view—always there, just unseen.
"...Fuck it. High risk, high reward."
Takakai sprinted after Chiyo, chasing the core obsession that had killed him countless times.