Chapter 313: Yayヽ(✿▽ﾟ)ノ
...
"Are the guests ready? Next, please put on your blindfolds, place your hand on the shoulder of the person in front, and our game officially begins." After everyone had covered their eyes, the server silently led them into the escape room.
They walked for a while before the server quietly slipped away.
The walkie-talkie crackled to life, cutting through the chaotic background noise. "Players may now remove your blindfolds."
Everyone took off their blindfolds. What met their eyes was a room styled like the living room of an old Japanese house, lit only by a single flickering table lamp giving off weak light.
Yellowed scrolls hung on all the walls, depicting various bizarre figures.
The group sat around the round table in the center. Their shadows on the wall swayed with the lamp, growing larger and smaller, as if the grotesque figures had escaped the paintings and were glaring at them with twisted faces.
"T-Trainer..." Special Week's shoulders trembled uncontrollably as she instinctively pressed closer to Lucian.
The other horse girls all looked serious, filled with tension.
Lucian was about to lighten the mood when a strange wind chime rang out.
Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen jolted in fright, while Ines Fujin and Special Week squeezed right up against Lucian.
Silence Suzuka clenched her fists, clearly startled too.
Only Matikanetannhauser hugged her head, looking like she wanted to crawl under the table.
The next second, a low, hoarse voice sounded. "Welcome to Hyakudai-kan. Do you wish to fulfill your desires? Then listen to the call of the vengeful spirits. Light the first candle, and the ritual begins."
"Legend says the Hyakumonogatari requires 'Tears of the Vengeful Spirit' to light the first candle. Find it."
The voice vanished. Everyone instinctively turned to Lucian.
Lucian protested, "Don't look at me—look at the captain!"
Matikanetannhauser, still hugging her head, shook it tearfully at him. "Trainer, can I request a hint now?"
"We've only just started..." Lucian sighed, glancing at the seven candles on the table marked with symbols, and an old, thick book titled Hyakumonogatari Secret Records with a eerie pattern on the cover.
"According to the instructions, we need to find the 'Tears of the Vengeful Spirit' now. The clues are in the room—everyone grab a flashlight and search."
He stood up, and the horse girls followed suit.
Lucian paused, took two steps toward the bookshelf in the corner—and the horse girls trailed right behind him.
"...Seriously? You're all so weak yet love playing this stuff. It won't be too hard at the start, so split up and search. Move!"
"Teio, didn't you keep saying you weren't scared?"
Tokai Teio: "Th-That's because..."
...
"Tan-tan, haven't you played this before?"
Matikanetannhauser: "I think I was just here to start the game. I won by following everyone. Don't worry, Trainer—if you have questions, ask me."
"You're that good?"
"Mm, I can get hints from the staff."
Lucian: "..."
...
After confirming no sudden jumpscares, everyone relaxed a bit and soon found the clue.
The candle lit successfully. The wind chime rang again—this time more urgent.
"The first vengeful spirit has awakened. Next, you will be randomly assigned to find the awakening methods for the remaining spirits."
As the voice faded, several paintings on the wall glowed with ghostly blue-green flames. Then several door-opening sounds rang out at once.
Lucian figured they'd split up. As he pondered assignments, the numbers under Silence Suzuka and Special Week's candles lit up.
"Looks like you two are a pair," Lucian said.
Silence Suzuka and Special Week exchanged glances, both seeing the tension in each other's eyes.
Right after their lights went out, lights lit under Tokai Teio, Ines Fujin, and Mejiro McQueen.
Finally, Lucian and Matikanetannhauser.
"Yayヽ(✿ﾟ▽ﾟ)ノ!" Matikanetannhauser got so excited she nearly threw the walkie-talkie. "Sorry, Suzuka-senpai—want me to give you ours?"
"Sure." Silence Suzuka didn't refuse, but she gave Lucian a wary glance.
"Ahem." Lucian cleared his throat twice. "The dark doors should be behind the paintings. Let's go."
...
Leaving the room, they realized how luxurious the table lamp's light had been.
Now they could only grope forward with limited flashlights.
"Tan-tan, did you play escape rooms like this before?" Lucian walked ahead with the flashlight; Matikanetannhauser clutched his shirt hem, eyes closed, following like a timid mouse.
"Trainer, I'm scared. I can only escape."
"Got it." Lucian understood—the atmosphere here was too well done. The decor, background music... even he felt a chill.
They reached the target room smoothly, though occasional lights flashed on. Since Matikanetannhauser kept her eyes shut, no screams.
The other groups weren't so quiet—screams pierced the walls, assaulting his ears.
"Trainer, are we there?"
"Yeah, should be safe. Open your eyes."
"Really? Really okay to open them?"
"Really..." Lucian almost teased her but held back—she'd probably cry little tears.
Matikanetannhauser opened her eyes but still clung to his shirt hem. "Where are we? What do we do?"
"Find clues."
"Ohhh." She nodded blankly, glanced at the open door behind, then circled to his side. "Trainer, you search. I'll guard your back."
Lucian's mouth twitched. "Thanks."
"Hehe, you're welcome." Matikanetannhauser wanted to hug his arm for security but didn't dare, settling for tugging his sleeve.
"Trainer, why do you call me 'Tan-tan'?"
"Weird... no clues here?"
"Even though it's 'Tan-tan', I still like bitter tea."
Lucian: "No, no..."
Matikanetannhauser: "No? What's wrong?"
Lucian suddenly looked at her seriously. "The prompt might be misleading me on purpose, making me assume things."
"Ah... really?" Matikanetannhauser laughed awkwardly. "Trainer's really focused."
"It's not candy 'tan'—it's the 'tan' from Tannhauser~ But candy 'tan' suits too. Tannhauser's always so silly." Lucian moved the flashlight away, voice drifting softly.
"Found it!" Lucian exclaimed.
Matikanetannhauser leaned in, eyes sparkling with admiration. "Whoa! The clue was hidden in the wall plaster! Trainer's amazing!"
"No big deal." Lucian felt a bit smug, tucking the clue away. "Let's go to the next spot. We should meet up with them and share clues."
"Mm!"
As they turned to leave, the ceiling above burst with a loud thud. An upside-down "corpse" in white clothes dangled right in front of them, face painted with corrosive makeup, dense holes like maggot nests.
"Holy—!!" Lucian jolted.
Matikanetannhauser inhaled sharply, mouth wide. "Aaaah—!!!"
"Riiip—" Fabric tearing.
"Holy—!?"...