The man in the suit and the woman with makeup flushed deeply, seeming to want to defend themselves, but under the aiming of the "All Beings Equalizer," they lacked the courage to talk back and could only remain silent.
"I truly didn't expect to encounter two Players this foolish."
Iwanaga Kotoko maintained her sweet smile, shaking her head with a look of slight helplessness, her tone gentle.
"I can understand your desire for thrills, but given the result, you can only blame your own unclear heads and lack of competence. However, this shouldn't be the reason you've been possessed by the hotel's anomaly. Continue. What else did you do?"
The woman with makeup replied hesitantly.
"After that... we searched the room, walked around that floor... and that was it..."
"No."
Asagiri shook his head, staring directly into the faces of the man in the suit and the woman with makeup.
"After doing that, you two drank the hotel's water, didn't you?"
"Eh? How did you know?"
The woman in makeup was surprised. Seeing Asagiri's index finger already resting on the trigger of the gun, she dared not hide anything and quickly confessed truthfully.
"Yes... I remember now. At that time... we saw bottled mineral water in the room, so we grabbed two bottles and drank them..."
Hearing this, Yuuki Asuna's expression became incredibly complex.
"You... you... Sigh... how can there be people this idiotic..."
The man in the suit desperately tried to defend himself. "No, we didn't drink tap water! Bottled mineral water—I checked; the caps weren't tampered with. It shouldn't be a problem!"
"I call you brainless, and you truly are utterly brainless. Did the Rookie Instance give you an overabundance of confidence?"
Asagiri's attack was full force, completely devoid of courtesy.
"Evil Spirits, understand? Do you understand what an Evil Spirit is? Do you think an Evil Spirit needs to unscrew the cap to replace the water in the bottle? Excellent logic. It has the pure simplicity of a missing brainstem."
The faces of the man in the suit and the woman with makeup went white. They stammered.
"Then... then what will happen after drinking that water?"
Yuuki Asuna pursed her lips, looking at the two trembling Players with a complex expression.
"We aren't completely sure yet, but my deduction is... your bodies will explode like balloons."
"Explode!?"
The man in the suit's expression changed instantly. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the floor. He then performed a dogeza (deep apology bow), begging Asagiri, who was standing there.
"Save... save me! Please, I beg you! Since you know the hotel's water is problematic, you must be able to find a way to save us, right? Please! Also, I have a lot of money! After we leave the Instance, I can give you money, whatever amount you ask for!"
"Don't make me laugh."
Asagiri's tone was flat. "You brought this death upon yourself. Why should I save you? Am I your father? What obligation do I have to save you?"
Iwanaga Kotoko, standing nearby, took two steps closer. Just as Yuuki Asuna thought she felt pity and wanted to persuade Asagiri to save the two Players, she heard Iwanaga Kotoko speak in a gentle, smiling tone.
"That's true. Based on what you just said, if their bodies could explode at any moment after drinking the hotel's water, then these two are essentially ticking time bombs. If their bodies explode and blood or other fluids splash into our eyes or mouths, we might also become infected by the anomaly. So, my suggestion is to kill them right here to prevent any further risk."
Yuuki Asuna was shocked. She never expected this extremely cute, loli-type beautiful girl to utter such a statement.
Not only refuse to save them, but also suggest killing the two Players immediately to eliminate future trouble?
Rationally, Yuuki Asuna knew Iwanaga Kotoko's words made sense, but these were two human lives. To say something so cold-blooded with such a casual, even smiling tone...
Iwanaga Kotoko, who dared to sign up for the Instance solo, was indeed not a simple person.
"Oh, now, wait. They are still alive, after all. My morals won't allow me to directly commit murder."
Hearing Asagiri's words, the man in the suit and the woman with makeup, who had been pale with fear, almost burst into tears of relief, thinking that good people still existed in this world...
"Besides, killing them directly would be a waste."
Before the two could fully register their relief, Asagiri suddenly changed the subject, offering a gentle smile and softening his tone.
"You two want to live, right?"
"Yes! So please, I beg you..."
"Begging me is useless."
Asagiri interrupted the man in the suit's plea, smiling lightly.
"Based on the information we currently have, there is an Evil Spirit in this hotel that is far more powerful than the others—one that can easily erase other Evil Spirits. It is likely the source of this hotel's anomaly. You drank the water here and have been infected by the anomaly. Your only way to survive now is to solve the source of this hotel's anomaly."
"As the saying goes, 'Make the best use of everything.' If the source of the anomaly isn't dealt with, you two are definitely going to die. If that's the case, then you two can become the cannon fodder to scout the way."
"Of course, if you don't agree, that's fine too. You have two choices before you: either follow my plan and become the cannon fodder we use to explore unknown areas, in which case you might survive."
"Or, I'll kill you directly here and now to eliminate future trouble."
"The choice is yours."
Hearing Asagiri's words, the man in the suit and the woman with makeup were stunned.
Good heavens, is there someone even better?
This guy is an even bigger living fiend.
Iwanaga Kotoko, upon hearing Asagiri's proposal, was initially surprised, but then she showed a look of agreement, nodding profoundly.
"Mhm, that's right. If they're inevitably going to die, they might as well contribute their remaining value and become our cannon fodder for exploring this hotel. As expected, your plan is more reliable."
"High praise, high praise. After all, my moral compass is too strong; directly committing murder still feels a little wrong."
Watching Asagiri and Iwanaga Kotoko converse, Yuuki Asuna's lips were slightly parted, and she didn't know what to say.
Why do I feel like...
These two, despite meeting for the first time, are so in sync?