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

Gao Hai didn't feel he needed to pay attention to anything; these were his companions, his kind whom he didn't need to doubt or be wary of.

What are you suspecting? If anything seems amiss, you can always tell us.

Another figure in black walked up and asked Gao Hai in a light tone.

"Yes, I know, but I don't have any clue yet. Let's just take it one step at a time."

As Gao Hai said this, he ultimately gave up on continuing down the corridor and instead turned around and opened a door on one side of the corridor.

Behind him, when Gao Hai stopped looking at those things, their figures began to blur and become fainter, but they did not disappear.

It seems that something is changing over time.

However, Gao Hai, who is currently carefully exploring this chaotic area, is completely unaware of such changes.

Behind the door was a small toilet, dark so dark that you couldn't see anything clearly.

Gao Hai took out the flashlight he had brought before entering the dungeon, turned it on, and shone it into the toilet. He discovered that the toilet stalls had mostly collapsed, as if something ferocious had torn them apart. After a closer inspection, Gao Hai even found dried bloodstains and shredded items that looked like children's clothes.

They were all taken away by those shady characters.

A child walked out from beside Gao Hai and spoke softly.

"Dark and gloomy?"

Gao Hai turned to look at the child who had suddenly appeared and asked with some confusion.

They hid in the cubicle, thinking that the darkness would hide them and prevent them from finding them. But the darkness always knew they were there, because the darkness was their friend; the darkness was always with them.

They're so stupid! They're all silly kids trying to fool Hei Huhu with this ridiculous behavior. Hei Huhu won't fall for it; only a teacher can stop him. But sometimes, even teachers can't stop Hei Huhu, especially when the teacher breaks the rules.

Teacher, you didn't follow the rules you're supposed to follow!

The child looked up and grinned at Gao Hai, but there was no real smile on his face.

teacher?

The way the other person addressed him made Gao Hai frown even more.

Am I a teacher in this instance?

When did I acquire this identity? Why do I have absolutely no recollection of it? No, everything around me is normal. Nothing unusual has happened to me.

Looking down, Gao Hai saw the words he had written on his hand.

Realizing something, a pistol appeared in his hand. He then ejected the magazine, and upon seeing that it was now fully loaded, Gao Hai once again became aware of his abnormal state and became slightly more lucid.

Teacher, your time is running out.

The child had disappeared.

Gao Hai, however, kept his head down, staring intently at the pistol he was holding.

There's nothing worth investigating here; we should go.

Alright, alright, let's not linger here any longer, we need to get moving, don't we?

We still need to find Hayasaka Ai; I wonder how she is doing now.

A hand, or rather a rough-looking arm, was placed on Gao Hai's shoulder, followed by another arm patting Gao Hai's back. One after another, blurry and distorted figures stood on either side of Gao Hai, speaking to him with great concern.

"...Indeed, there's really nothing here worth paying attention to."

Close your eyes, then open them again.

Gao Hai put away his gun, then turned to leave.

Before leaving the dimly lit toilet, his gaze fell on the wall by the door, where he had left some childish notes in a low place.

This is what you deserve!!!

It appears to have been written by a short child, with messy and illegible handwriting.

Just by staring at the words above, Gao Hai felt a faint sense of anger and a strange, inexplicable sense of exhilaration.

How is this going?

Gao Hai was somewhat unable to understand the current situation.

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the empty auditorium, Kaguya Shinomiya slowly stepped inside, moving among the chairs.

You can hear what sounds like children talking all the time.

In this auditorium filled with chairs and stools, the sounds of many children chatting and talking could be heard.

Kaguya could not hear the children's voices clearly, as if something had created an invisible barrier between her and the children, separating her from them.

Subconsciously, Kaguya shrugged slightly, then lowered her head to look at the notebook on a small stool.

Just now, in the muffled sounds, I seemed to hear children around this location discussing some kind of "ghost story." I wonder if I can find any clues here.

Kaguya picked up the notebook and opened it, finding what appeared to be a conversation. It seemed two children were using the notebook to communicate in some way. Since there were no names marked in the notebook, but the handwriting of the two different people was clearly different, Kaguya mentally labeled the two people's handwriting as 'a' and 'b'.

[A: Hey, you're a new student too, right? Let's chat. I've heard there are some really weird and strange tales about this school.]

[b: Huh? But didn't the teacher say we weren't allowed to talk about these things? And that we'd get a beating if they found out?]

[A: That's exactly why it's so likely true, otherwise those adults wouldn't be so afraid of us talking about these things. Hmph, but finding out about these things is no problem for me, I'm a know-it-all. Okay, enough rambling and wasting pages, have you ever heard of the ghost story of the "dark friend"?]

[b: No, what does that mean?]

[A: It means there's a kind of monster called a dark, shadowy creature. They're born from a person's memory. If you've seen a name in a book, or heard something about someone, the dark creature will transform into that person's name and appearance, appearing before you as your friend. And, it's a secret friend that only you can see and communicate with.]

[b: Isn't that great? I want to become friends with the heroes from the anime team. Can that dark-skinned guy turn into a team hero?]

[A: What are you thinking? This is a ghost story, how could it only be good news? Those dark things are monsters! They're not transforming into the form of people you know to help you. The longer they're in contact with you, the less they'll maintain their original form, and they'll gradually revert to their original appearance. And during this process, the dark things that were originally only visible to you will start to become visible to others, and their relationship with you will become increasingly intimate. You'll be completely blinded by the power of the ghost story and won't be able to see the problem.]

[b: That sounds a bit scary. Your friend's appearance is gradually changing, but you can't even notice. And what's this dark thing doing? Why is it doing this? What does it want? I don't really understand its purpose.]

[A: I'm not entirely sure either, but it's said that the dark creatures actually absorb your power during this process, making themselves stronger. Because at the beginning, the dark creatures are very weak, only visible to you. They gradually change after being in contact with you for a while, eventually becoming visible to everyone. And, once they become powerful enough, their friends become useless, and then they eat them.]

[b: What?! That's disgusting. Forget it, I'm not interested in these kinds of ghost stories. Can you tell me something else?]

[A: Sure, sure! Actually, I quite like dark and eerie tales. I've heard there are several versions of them, several different kinds of dark and eerie stories. But if you don't want to hear them, then I won't. By the way, would you mind being friends with me? People don't usually like chatting with me.]

[b: It's not that it's impossible, I quite enjoy chatting with you. Let's be friends then. What's your name? Which class are you in?]

A: This is my secret.

After reading the conversation in the notebook, Kaguya slowly put it down, then suddenly realized that she could no longer hear the children chatting.

The entire auditorium had fallen silent; Kaguya could only hear her own breathing and heartbeat.

She turned around and looked at the few blurry black figures behind her, who were quietly watching her. She knew they were her friends, people she could trust, and companions who would go with her to save Hayasaka Ai.

She just couldn't remember their names, but that wasn't important. Everything was normal right now, and there was no need to question or doubt it.

The investigation here yielded no useful results. Let's check other places and see if we can find any trace of Hayasaka Ai. Sigh, Hayasaka, where are you? How can I find you...?

Don't worry, you'll definitely find it; there won't be any problems.

We'll go with you to look for it. If it doesn't work here, we'll try looking somewhere else.

Speaking of which, you haven't seen the Four Houses up those stairs yet, right? Want to check what's up there?

Her friends were talking to her and trying their best to find a solution.

Kaguya shrugged and continued forward without a word, returning through the door she had come in through to the hall she had already explored, and then looked up at the top of the stairs.

I've never tried this room before, so I'll see if I can find any clues here this time.

Thinking this, Kaguya shrugged again and shook her arms uncomfortably.

What's wrong? Is there a problem?

His friend behind him asked with great concern.

"fine……"

Kaguya shook her head as she spoke, but her expression remained tense.

In my own perception, everything around me is normal and there is no problem.

But my underwear… this shouldn’t be happening. When did it go missing? Who took it? What on earth is going on… Why would something so abnormal happen? Why… Hmm, why do I feel like this is actually normal? This is clearly not normal… Hmm…

Her thoughts became jumbled at that moment, two completely different ideas causing the girl's brows to furrow even more.

However, her expression remained unchanged, and she continued to walk forward.

Chapter Sixteen: Discoveries in the Dark Dog Shelter and the Way Friends Are Treated

Woof woof—woof woof woof—

The barking of dogs echoed throughout the dark house.

A foul stench filled the room, causing Kaguya, who had just entered, to show an expression of discomfort.

This is above the stairs in the lobby of Hayate Elementary School, and this is the room behind the door on the stairs.

Before opening that door, Kaguya had considered the possible scenarios. Perhaps it would be a distorted and chaotic eerie room, or perhaps it would be a room that looked normal but actually harbored all sorts of strange phenomena, but she never expected to see a doghouse.

And it's such a terrible kennel.

"this place……"

After a brief hesitation, Kaguya did not stop, but continued to walk deeper into the house.

This is a place her friends suggested she explore. Their suggestions are normal and should be considered and adopted, so there's nothing to hesitate about.

Moreover, all her friends are standing guard at the entrance of the kennel, keeping watch against anyone who might show up and cause trouble, so she doesn't need to worry about anything; everything here is normal.

Is this really normal?

Stepping inside, the tiled floor made soft sounds with each step Kaguya took.

In the dark room without any lights, the only light source shone from the direction of the hall, which also stretched Kaguya's shadow on the floor as she entered the room.

Woof woof—woof woof—

Clang—Clang—

The barking of the dog and the clanging of the cage rang out together.

To Kaguya's left and right, she could see one iron cage after another, and dogs barking inside.

There were many dogs, all mixed breeds that were hard to identify, and almost all of them were puppies; there were hardly any adult dogs to be seen. The cages themselves were very small, and most of the dogs were crammed inside, standing on the floor covered in feces and urine, with virtually no room to move.