Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Fujiwara Chika replied with a smile and a completely flat tone.

"Hey?"

Maki froze on the spot. Chika's words instantly froze all the counterattacks she had envisioned in her mind.

"But Maki-san, don't get too excited. I know that Maki-san is a very, very important person to Akai, because you once saved his life, and he saved you. For Akai, you are the first person he met in the ghost story game who was kind to him, and I will not deny that."

Fujiwara Chika clasped her hands together, resting her fingertips on her chin, and continued speaking in a gentle tone.

"Ah, you know about these things? You..."

Zhenfei subconsciously shrank back, already somewhat confused about how things were unfolding.

"So, Maki-san, you're hurting Akai by grabbing him so hard. No matter what, Akai hasn't done anything to wrong you or me. He's been fighting desperately, trying to ensure that we can all survive. We have no right to criticize him, do we?"

Reaching out, Chika grasped Maki's hand and continued speaking.

"Ugh, you...you bastard, I know, I didn't blame Hai-kun. And why are you calling me 'A-Hai'? We've only known each other for two or three days, why are you calling me so intimately? What are you trying to do?"

Facing red with embarrassment, Maki released her grip on Takahashi's arm and then couldn't help but retort.

They've completely lost their composure.

Kaguya, who was watching this scene from the side, couldn't help but sigh.

As if her beloved toy was about to be taken away, Princess Maki was completely unable to calm down, and her anxious and angry expression was written all over her face.

"Because Ahai is really good to me, hehe. After all, Ahai is very tall, he gently helps and guides me, he works very hard to find a way to solve the dungeon, and he is also very interested in games. We have a lot in common to talk about. Of course I want to develop a good relationship with such a good person. Don't you want to get closer to Ahai, Maki?"

Chika blushed slightly and said shyly, looking like a bashful young girl in the throes of first love.

"I, I, this kind of thing..."

Maki almost instinctively wanted to say, "I don't want to get along with Kai-kun," but then she remembered the trap Fujiwara Chika had set for her in their previous conversation. Her words, "Didn't you say you don't like Kai-kun and don't plan to date or marry him?" were still stuck in Maki's throat like a stone, making her feel uncomfortable and unsure of what to do.

"Alright, alright, Maki-kun, what we think about each other isn't important. What's most important right now is that after cracking the Red Nut Gray Hole dungeon, we've already attracted a lot of attention from the outside world and become enemies of some players. Although those players using Black Blood Bullets are concentrated in America, there's a real possibility that they'll discover it was us in Japan who cracked the dungeon, causing the Black Blood Bullets to malfunction. We have to be prepared, right? So let's not talk about these little emotional things for now and focus on important matters, okay? Kaguya-kun has been watching us too."

But it was precisely during this moment of silence and hesitation that Chika continued speaking without stopping, easily silencing the words that Maki had not yet organized, giving Maki no chance to retaliate.

Sitting between the two girls, watching their confrontation, Gao Hai felt a strange sense of satisfaction, almost like he was experiencing a chaotic love triangle firsthand…

Interlude 2-03: The Squad's Meeting Time and the Girl's Resolve

The final outcome of the conversation was probably not particularly pleasant.

In the end, Maki managed to calm down and participate in the discussion after the dungeon was completed, without arguing with Chika again.

Despite saying that, she couldn't hide the resentful look she gave Gao Hai every now and then during the conversation, which made Gao Hai feel immense pressure.

As for the topics of discussion, they mainly fall into three categories.

The first issue concerns Gao Hai's watch. After clearing the Red Nut Gray Hole dungeon, this seemingly powerful cheat code finally began to reveal another side. It forced Gao Hai to use a perfect strategy to clear the dungeon, to break free from his core obsession, and to prevent the watch from consuming the dungeon. Furthermore, based on the abnormally high difficulty of the Shirakawa Apartment and Red Nut Gray Hole dungeons, the group deduced that the difficulty of the dungeons Gao Hai would participate in next would inevitably become increasingly terrifying, and even if he tried to use tricks to obtain tickets to other dungeons, it would likely be useless. Just like this time with Red Nut Gray Hole, a tourist-level Twilight dungeon transformed into a dual-core dungeon with top-tier Dark Night difficulty, which already speaks volumes.

The discussion on this topic resulted in an attempt to obtain three tickets to a fixed Dark Night-level dungeon, which would be entered by Gao Hai, Kaguya, and Maki. Although there are very few fixed Dark Night-level dungeons left on the player market that can be easily cleared, this is the only potentially feasible path to try now that the danger of that strange watch has been confirmed.

Chika couldn't participate in this discussion. Although her first dungeon game was the top-tier Dual-Core Dark Night mode, in the [Sacrifice Game] ranking system, Fujiwara Chika was merely a newbie who had cleared the Twilight level game once, and wasn't qualified to participate in the Dark Night level game. Chika was very distressed about this and remained unhappy for a long time.

The second topic is the "Black Blood Bullets." Since all players worldwide enter the game on roughly the same day, it can be assumed that the "Sacrifice Game" starts at a uniform time each time. Therefore, players in the Americas could use Black Blood Bullets normally while inside the instance. However, upon returning to the real world, they discovered that all their Black Blood Bullets had become ineffective. The player faction that controlled the production of Black Blood Bullets also stated that the raw materials for the bullets had become invalid, suspecting that the instance had been compromised.

Fulfilling the core obsession's dying wish and breaking through the dungeon's defenses is inherently extremely difficult. Due to high player demand, few veteran players dare to risk destroying Twilight-level dungeons, unless they're unpopular individuals. Even those players, usually solo, might not be able to break through the Twilight-level core obsession. As for Dark Night and Crimson Moon dungeons, even veteran players rarely possess this ability.

Therefore, after much investigation, players discovered the Red Nut Gray Hole instance, and American players realized that the source of the Black Blood Bullets was probably in this instance.

Online comments were extremely polarized. Players in the Americas were furious, many wanting to find and kill the person who cleared the Red Nut Gray Hole dungeon to vent their anger. For those who had lost a vital survival item, the player who destroyed the dungeon was now their mortal enemy. Players outside the Americas, however, were mostly just watching the drama unfold, hoping for even more chaos. After all, the Black Blood Bullet item had been strictly controlled and couldn't be leaked. The angrier the American players were, the happier the American players were. There were even cases of enraged American players challenging others to offline duels and actually traveling thousands of kilometers by plane and car to kill their entire families.

We must keep a low profile and hide ourselves.

This is the consensus among Gao Hai and the other three.

Although the four players present have only completed one or two dungeons, their A-rank and S-rank enhancements have already granted them considerable power. Combined with the items and blessings they received from other players, they are indeed strong enough to protect themselves. They are comparable to those unfathomable veteran players, with Gao Hai's strength even rivaling some weaker veterans. However, it's best to avoid unnecessary ostentation.

Just like the previous "Female Mask Gang," although they were successfully eliminated, the fact that they brazenly stormed into Maki's house was incredibly unsettling. While Takami is alone, Maki and Chika both have family and friends as their vulnerabilities. Kaguya, though emotionally detached from family, also has people she deeply trusts and cannot afford to lose. The thought of the trouble they might face if they provoke those crazy and extreme players is enough to give anyone a headache.

"For the next month, we will not show our faces in any player gathering places. If any players ask us, we will follow Ms. Aoyama's advice and say that we actually went to the [Yamazaki Amusement Park] twilight-level dungeon. She has already spoken with Mr. Kogawa, and the relevant information about this dungeon will be sent to us soon. We will then write it down, coordinate with each other, and pretend to be a temporary team that is clearing the amusement park dungeon alone without contacting other players."

Kaguya concluded the matter with a summary.

"To be honest, I don't want to interact with players at all anymore. All I want to do now is sleep at home for a few days and play games every night."

Gao Hai yawned, his face burning out, and even his voice became weak and listless.

"In that case, I know a hot spring hotel in the suburbs, it's a great place to relax, you know? And it even has a dedicated e-sports room with really high-end equipment, maybe you'll like it, Ahai. If you want to go, I can invite you, or the four of us can go together."

Upon hearing this, Chika's eyes lit up slightly, and she raised her hand to make the suggestion.

"Oh, really? Come to think of it, even though I've been in Japan for so long, I've never soaked in a hot spring here before."

Gao Hai paused for a moment, then moved closer to Chika with great interest. Then, Maki secretly reached under the table and grabbed Gao Hai's hem to prevent him from getting any closer to Chika, and then looked at Chika with undisguised hostility.

"We don't need you to treat us. If we want to go, we can each pay our own way."

However, this cat-like baring of teeth attack had no effect whatsoever. Chika simply smiled slightly, while Kaguya, unwilling to start another argument, quickly moved on to the next topic.

The last topic, of course, is the arrangements for this month.

Real life is not safe, so everyone needs something to protect themselves, and therefore it is important to allocate resources properly here.

Regarding the next game, we should try to make sure everyone is together. We also need to seriously consider Qianhua's situation. Should we find a reliable group of players to help her through the game?

Furthermore, there are many aspects that need careful discussion, such as how the four maintain contact and how to promptly alert others in critical moments to deal with potential threats. Even with veteran players Aoyama Nanami and Kogawa Kijima showing goodwill towards them now, regardless of how long this goodwill can last, the attention Gao Hai, who inevitably destroys the dungeon every time he clears it, will inevitably increase after several more dungeon runs. At that point, will these two veteran players still be willing to continue covering for them?

"In that case, Ahai, come and be a security guard at Shuchiin Academy."

Then, while Kaguya and Maki were pondering these questions, Chika, swaying her body as if she had nothing to do, raised her hand and spoke calmly.

"security guard?"

Gao Hai was stunned again, somewhat confused about what Qian Hua meant by this.

“That’s right. Kaguya, Shijou, and I all go to the same school, so the three of us spend most of our time together. We can usually look out for each other no matter what happens. But Umi lives alone, which means he’s out of touch with the rest of us. So it’s necessary to bring Umi into our social circle.”

Chika shook her finger and began to speak with a very serious expression.

"Of course, the normal application process for a security guard position at Shuchiin Academy is very complicated, and Akai definitely doesn't have the relevant credentials, so I'll ask my dad to find a way to write a letter of introduction for Akai, or my grandfather can write it too. It'll probably be hard for Kaguya to persuade her family, but Shijou-kun should be able to ask his parents for help, right? It might not be very polite, but as long as we use that inducement necklace, getting a letter of introduction shouldn't be a problem."

"Moreover, with a letter of introduction, the school will naturally know that Ahai's situation is not ordinary, so they won't really arrange too much work for him. This way, Ahai's life won't be burdened, and he can still live a leisurely life every day. Would you like that, Ahai? If you agree, I'll take care of it."

As the descendant of politicians, Fujiwara Chika at this moment restrained her usual lively and cheerful girlish demeanor and began to explain things like the letter of introduction to Takami with considerable skill.

"Why are you suddenly making this suggestion? What are you trying to do?"

Consort Zhen frowned and asked, surprised that the other party would say such a thing.

"I just hope that we can be more united as a team. Of course, I also hope to see Ahai more often. Don't you want to see Ahai, Shijou-kun?"

Chika chuckled and said with an innocent expression.

"I... of course... but even so, with your and my family background, with a little maneuvering, it wouldn't be a problem to get Haijun a teacher, right? Although he might not know much, he should at least be a physical education teacher, right?"

Almost instinctively denying it again after being startled by Chika's words, Maki blushed and swallowed her words back, then mustered her courage and continued speaking.

"No way, that would be too much trouble and put the school in a difficult position. Besides, if Ahai really becomes a teacher, would your family accept a teacher-student relationship? My family certainly wouldn't, and neither would I."

The next second, Chika patted her cheeks and retorted, silencing Maki who was about to say something more.

It seems that's indeed the case...

Although she really wanted to refute the word "love," after thinking it over carefully, Maki gave up on dwelling on the issue.

After all, whether Gao Hai became a teacher or a security guard, his goal wasn't about duty, but simply to get closer to the three of them and ensure the team could spend more time together. And even as a player, he still hoped for his family's blessings... wait, wait, what kind of blessings do I need? Blessings are only for marriage, right?! This fat Fujiwara woman, she's already thinking about marriage with a man she's only known for a day or two?! What a shameless woman!!!

Finally realizing what was happening, Maki abruptly raised her head, her eyes wide as she prepared to question Chika.

However, before that, the girl opposite had already uttered her next sentence.

"Fourth Brother, our opinions can't be the deciding factor. The key is whether Ahai is willing or not. So I'm just suggesting security. Before you give your advice, please ask Ahai for his opinion first."

As she spoke with a smile, Chika turned to look at Takahashi.

Knowing full well that he was not cut out to be a teacher, Gao Hai scratched his head and naturally said, "Being a security guard is definitely no problem, but I'd rather not be a teacher," thus ending the topic.

Damn it, I feel like I'm being completely led by the nose by this woman. What's wrong with her?

Consort Zhen, unable to vent her anger, felt a strong sense of powerlessness.

In fact, it wasn't just her; Kaguya, who was standing next to her, also felt quite uncomfortable with Chika.

Is this really the Fujiwara I know? She's changed so much!

Kaguya Shinomiya felt as if she could see the invisible pressure emanating from Chika Fujiwara.

In Kaguya's memory, Chika had always been a carefree and happy girl, and there had never been any sense of oppression from her. But now, Chika, standing next to Takami, was displaying a powerful aura that was completely unfamiliar to Kaguya, even giving Kaguya the feeling that Chika had become a queen.

What Kaguya and Maki didn't know was that Fujiwara Chika had a full month more memories than either of them. In that month, the girl had far too much time to sort out her feelings and understand the current situation. Her determination and will were naturally incomparable to that of the arrogant and hesitant girl who had lost out.

Putting everything else aside, among the three girls present, only Fujiwara Chika clearly realized that all three of them had to unite around Takami; only by sticking together could they better face the terrifying abyss of the [Sacrifice Game]. Therefore, normal romantic relationships between a boy and a girl were essentially irrelevant to these players. Thus, Fujiwara Chika's current goal was very clear: to ensure that she held the most profound and weighty place in Takami's heart.

Of course, her affection for this man was genuine. After realizing that she probably couldn't have Gao Hai all to herself, nor could she just leave him like that, Chika also experienced all the inner turmoil and pain.

But she had already seriously considered all of these things during that month that had been rewinded and disappeared.

After the entire universe's time was reversed by that strange watch for a whole month, Chika had ample time to reconsider these matters after returning to the beginning of the instance and reuniting with Takahashi.

So she has made a decision: she will not treat this matter lightly, nor will she play any games of who confesses first.

Therefore, her determination is on a completely different level from that of Princess Maki, not to mention Kaguya, who hasn't even figured out her own thoughts yet.

"No matter what, now that we've survived that terrifying cave together, let's stick together and work hard to survive the challenges ahead."

Therefore, at the end of this team meeting, Fujiwara Chika smiled sincerely and spoke to everyone present in an extremely serious tone.

Then he reached out and hugged Gao Hai's arm as he stood up to leave, then pressed his whole body against Gao Hai's side.

"Ah Hai, Ah Hai, can you come with me to buy a new board game/strategy game?"

That hopeful look on her face, like a small animal hesitatingly making a plea, was completely different from the serious and earnest demeanor she had when she spoke the previous sentence. It was as if they were two completely different people.

Interlude 2-04: Be sure to cherish those who are truly for you.

Gao Hai felt a lot of pressure.

To his left was Shijou Maki, with short twin tails, staring at him with an unfriendly expression.

To his right was Fujiwara Chika, with long hair and a black bow tied on her forehead, humming a song as she walked forward with a relaxed expression.