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

A chopstick gently poked Gao Hai's cheek. When he came to his senses, he saw Qian Hua's teasing expression.

"I was just thinking about something. Oh, right, Chika, come here, ah—"

Gao Hai smiled and replied, then used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of shrimp and extend it towards Qianhua.

Since it was a couple feeding each other, there had to be a give-and-take. The girl sitting opposite Gao Hai was very cooperative, decisively opening her mouth to bite Gao Hai's chopsticks and easily rolling the shrimp into her mouth with her tongue.

But then, she used her pink tongue to gently curl Gao Hai's chopsticks, refusing to let go. Not only that, the girl also looked at him with a slightly provocative gaze, and they remained locked in this stalemate for a few seconds before she finally released the chopsticks.

This is a provocation.

Gao Hai could naturally see through Chika's intentions. Normally, the two of them would already be engaged in a fight. But he didn't act now. The reason was simple: they were having lunch together in Shuchiin, meaning it would soon be time for the next girl to take her turn. If Gao Hai recklessly started a fight with Chika under these circumstances, he would almost certainly be discovered by the next girl, which would likely have some negative consequences.

Gao Hai felt that this was not necessarily the case.

"It seems we need to make sure both sides have a full meal."

Having calmly accepted the challenge, Gao Hai quickly finished his meal and then slowly stood up.

"Hehehe, is it really necessary to do this? If Kaguya-san saw this, she might be shocked."

Chika herself was not afraid at all, and even deliberately stretched, showing off her proud figure.

"Can't we all join in?"

Gao Hai simply made a casual conclusion about this, then approached Qian Hua and used his mental power to draw all the classroom curtains to ensure complete soundproofing and avoid attracting attention.

So, half an hour later, after Hayasaka's earnest guidance, Kaguya, who was finally mentally prepared, arrived at the classroom. As soon as she opened the door, she froze.

"Huh? Huh? This... am I... arriving at a bad time...? Sorry to bother you!"

The girl, whose mind went blank for a while, finally turned around and decided to run away.

But before she could do anything, a strong hand reached out from inside the door, grabbed the girl's thin arm, pulled her inside, and then the door closed automatically.

"Wait, wait a minute, is it really appropriate to do this in a classroom...?"

"Gao Jun?! Wait, don't tear my clothes! This is a school uniform, not pajamas!"

"This...this is too much...Do I really have to do this?! No, no, no, I'm not mentally prepared yet—"

Even after their previous intimate interactions, including serious participation in three-player and five-army battles, Kaguya still showed some resistance to multiplayer gaming parties. However, given that Chika was on her home turf, Kaguya's resistance was clearly futile. Soon, cries of anguish echoed through the sealed-off classroom, and her former classmates were no longer classmates, but rather accomplices and instigators of Takami's schemes.

Two hours later, when nearly half of the afternoon classes at Shuchiin had passed, the three neatly dressed students walked out of the clean and tidy classroom.

Now, no matter who came in to look at this classroom, they would never guess that just minutes ago it was a scene of utter devastation, as if a major earthquake had struck. Gao Hai had become increasingly adept at using his mental powers to alter reality, including perfectly repairing Chika and Kaguya's damaged clothes, inside and out. Well, repairing the clothes was actually the easiest part, since he had carefully checked the fabric and feel before tearing them off.

"Well then, the rest of the time is in Kaguya's hands, so don't get too carried away~"

Chika, her legs a little weak, said with a grin, then swayed slightly as she leaned against the wall with one hand and left.

As the price for instigating the conflict, Chika, whose physical strength was relatively weak, was successfully subdued by the rampaging Kaguya in the latter half of the previous group gathering. As a result, she, who had already exhausted a lot of energy, bore the brunt of the pressure in the end, and as a result, her legs were temporarily weak at this moment.

"Waaaaah... What have I done...!"

As for Kaguya herself, who had finally come to her senses, her face was still completely red, and she seemed to be unable to recover for a while. It was the reaction of a pure young girl who was experiencing the pleasures of love for the first time.

Although Gao Hai thought that an innocent girl wouldn't wear sexy lingerie under her school uniform, he also knew that it was probably Hayasaka's idea.

"So, my lovely Kaguya-san, where are you planning to take me today?"

Gao Hai bent down slightly and looked at the girl beside him who was still very embarrassed.

"Taka-kun, stop teasing me like that. Is it because you've been spending so much time with Fujiwara-kun? I feel like you're getting more and more mischievous these days..."

With one hand held by Takahashi, Kaguya covered her face with the other, refusing to look Takahashi in the eye, and said somewhat resentfully, while in her heart she once again defined Chika as a "vulgar witch with a lewd figure who seduces people into depravity".

However, this lapse in composure did not last long. Kaguya quickly recovered, took a deep breath, and smiled as she said she would take Takami somewhere.

"The place we're going... well, I'll keep that a secret for now. Anyway, I'll prepare a surprise for Gao Jun."

Despite saying that, Kaguya had only taken one step when she cried out in surprise, and then her legs went weak and she fell forward.

Gao Hai immediately reached out to support the blushing girl. Seeing that her legs were still trembling, he simply reached out and hugged Kaguya in his arms. Then, he used his mental power to conceal their presence, and activated the Blessing of Nothingness to take them into the air.

Great, that successfully completed the couple's princess carry activity.

Held in Takahashi's arms, Kaguya, who was pretending to have weak legs, felt that her plan had succeeded and couldn't help but show a happy expression.

As for Takahashi, who could clearly see through his mental power that Kaguya's leg was actually fine, well, playing along with Kaguya like this didn't seem like a problem to him, so he just let her have her fun.

As the two left the school, in a classroom, a girl with long blonde hair looked at them and couldn't help but sigh.

"It's finally a real breakthrough. The young lady's awkward personality is slowly improving."

Because of her deep connection with Takami, Hayasaka, whose senses were not obscured, clearly saw the interaction between Takami and Kaguya. While she didn't know the specifics of Takami, Chika, and Kaguya's actions in the classroom earlier due to the complete mental blockade, the girls' subsequent reactions were enough for Hayasaka to guess what had happened.

That's really something. After breaking through the final layer of relationship, this must be the third time the young lady has participated in a multi-person joint operation, right? Could it be that the young lady will go further and further down this path in the future?

I'm a little worried, but if we really go in that direction, it doesn't seem too bad.

In any case, if the young lady really intends to strictly follow her own plan, then the situation will indeed be pretty much the same.

While pondering, Hayasaka glanced down at his phone. A discussion from a player forum was displayed, concerning the "Throne of Mind" researched by the "Historian." The test project that Takami refused to participate in had, after initial trials, resulted in two serious injuries and one death among the three participating players. Although the deceased was subsequently revived on the spot by a resurrection item, all three suffered severe mental abnormalities. It seemed the machine had inflicted extremely serious damage on them, to the point that even the power of mental artifacts was insufficient to restore them.

Is it really that dangerous? It seems that Master made the right choice to refuse to participate in such a project.

Thinking this, Hayasaka casually closed the page and then began to ponder where she and her master should go on their date tomorrow.

Interlude 4-23: Kaguya Shinomiya's Plans and the Kitten's Time

Gao Hai was waiting.

Although he could have easily unleashed his mental power to see whatever he wanted if he wanted, out of respect for Kaguya herself, he chose to remain seated and wait for the girl behind the curtain to change her clothes and come out.

Of course, Gao Hai could tell that the curtain itself was probably set up by Kaguya on purpose. After all, even through the curtain, he could vaguely see Kaguya's figure. Even though it was just a hazy silhouette, and he couldn't really see her exact appearance, watching the girl change clothes behind the curtain, Gao Hai had to admit that it was quite a pleasant experience.

As for where Takami was at this moment, she was naturally in Kaguya's bedroom. That's right, the date location that Shinomiya Kaguya ultimately decided on was her bedroom, or more precisely, her newly renovated bedroom. After all, Takami, Kaguya, and Hayasaka had caused quite a bit of damage to the bedroom before, and it would take some time to repair.

After leading Takami to the bedroom, Kaguya awkwardly said she needed to change her clothes. She then pulled back the curtain in front of Takami and went behind it to change. This was practically a declaration of war, which made Takami somewhat anticipate it. Even though he had already fought for several days straight with Miko, Maki, and Chika, and had even played a three-player match with Chika and Kaguya at noon, he still felt full of energy and could fight for a long time without getting tired.

But then again, this was probably Ai's idea. After all, if it were Kaguya herself, she would most likely use her amazing wisdom to take her to various date locations from movies or comics, rather than a bedroom.

Takahashi quickly guessed the identity of the mastermind, but there was no need to guess, since Hayasaka was Kaguya's only advisor. It's just that Kaguya wasn't very willing to listen to Hayasaka before, but after that first night, realizing that she really needed help, Kaguya gradually became willing to follow Hayasaka's plan.

So, what clothes will Kaguya change into?

Gazing at the curtain through which figures were faintly visible, Gao Hai couldn't help but imagine.

Will it be clothing designed for erotic purposes?

I have a feeling that if it were the kind of clothing that was half-revealing and deliberately designed to be seductive, Kaguya's sense of shame might not be enough to make her want to wear it.

So... could it be the kind of situation where a fight could start right away? Like wearing a red ribbon as a gift, or maybe just a collar or chain?

No, no, no, Kaguya would definitely be even less willing to wear this type of outfit; it would be more appropriate to wear it with Chika or Miko instead.

Gao Hai pondered the various possibilities, while the rustling sounds behind the curtain continued incessantly.

Behind the scenes, Kaguya's cheeks were flushed, and her hands were trembling slightly. It was clear that she was very hesitant, but after only a few seconds of pause, Kaguya took a deep breath and continued to put on her clothes with determination.

It's alright, it's alright.

Anyway... anyway, the fact that I was completely naked has already been seen.

This wasn't the first time I'd worn these clothes; Gao Jun had worn them once before. It's just that this time it was just the two of us, with no onlookers.

As for what might happen after wearing these clothes, that's something I've already experienced, so there's no need to worry. Ultimately, it's all just necessary to further strengthen our relationship and solidify our feelings for each other.

So...so...but even so, deliberately changing clothes in front of Gao Jun through a curtain, and then doing that kind of thing afterwards, is just too shameful.

Where did Hayasaka get all this knowledge from? It's utterly shameless! Unhealthy! Impure!!!

The girl silently voiced her accusations in her heart.

But she still took off her school uniform and neatly folded all her clothes. Then she changed into the clothes that Hayasaka had prepared in advance, including white stockings, black cat ears, and a long cat tail.

Speaking of which... I don't see a fixed structure for this tail. Could it be... that Hayasaka actually prepared something like this? That's just too much...

Ah, whatever. I've long since lost all sense of image with Gao Jun anyway. I don't care if he laughs at me or thinks I'm shameless. This time... this time, I'll just consider it a reward for Gao Jun. After all, he really sacrificed and suffered a lot in the previous dungeon, so it's just a piece of clothing and a small part. I don't care.

It took Kaguya quite a while to convince herself, but she finally finished dressing and slowly walked to the curtain.

"Um, Gao Jun, are you still there?"

In a tense moment, Kaguya blurted out a rather strange remark, which she immediately regretted and wanted to take back.

"Yes, of course I am! I'm still waiting for Kaguya's surprise."

Almost the instant Kaguya asked that question, Takami's voice rang out through the curtain.

"Um... um, I, I've changed, I'm done. So, um, I'm coming over?"

With a hesitant voice that even Kaguya herself found somewhat unfamiliar and completely unlike her own, the girl reached out and grabbed one side of the curtain, slowly pulling it open.

The next moment, Gao Hai saw Kaguya Shinomiya dressed in a cute black and white maid outfit, with cat ears, a cat tail, and other accessories.

This outfit surprised Gao Hai slightly. He remembered it; Kaguya had worn it once before entering the [Infant Cry Village] instance. However, that time, the girls were wearing maid outfits together, and Kaguya had only put it on because she was caught up in the atmosphere and deliberately provoked by Hayasaka and the others. This time, not only did Kaguya wear a maid outfit willingly, but the skirt was noticeably shorter than before, and the dress itself had a subtle see-through effect. Not to mention the cat tail that was inexplicably secured and the decorative collar around her neck.

"So... will this outfit help Gao Jun cheer up a little?"

The incredibly ashamed girl pressed her hand tightly against the hem of her skirt and asked Gao Hai in a soft voice.

"It's very energetic in every sense of the word. It's quite wonderful to see such a scene again."

Gao Hai gave a thumbs up and gave his answer very honestly.

"Oh, that's good. Ugh, it took a lot of determination for me to wear this outfit again. So please, Taka-kun, don't laugh at me."

Kaguya kept her head down and refused to raise it. Her voice grew softer and softer until even Takahashi, with his excellent hearing, could barely hear what she was saying.

It seems they really put in a lot of effort.

Even her ears turned bright red, which shows that Kaguya's shamelessness is definitely the highest among all the girls she knows.

Simply affirming her with words at this point wouldn't be enough. Therefore, Gao Hai knew it was time to take concrete action.

So he stood up and walked up to the girl.

Kaguya, still incredibly ashamed, had her chin gently pressed down by Takahashi's fingers, forcing her to raise her head. Then, Takahashi kissed her directly, and she almost immediately let out a "woo woo" sound. She instinctively tried to back away, but Takahashi grabbed her waist and she had nowhere to retreat.

Kaguya, feeling slightly oxygen-deprived, reached out and pressed against Takami's chest, trying to push him away like a kitten resisting a kiss. However, the absolute difference in strength made the girl's movements quite powerless, especially as Takami's demands became more intense. The dizzy girl quickly went limp and collapsed into Takami's arms, only able to let him hold her and do whatever he wanted.