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

{Takami: I've given you the general situation. Could you please relay this to Kita in a bit? Do you have any thoughts or opinions?}

{Yotsuya Miko: I'm fine on my end, as long as I can settle Mom, Xiaohua, and Xiaohua's family, everything will be fine. But do we really have to rush this much? I don't know why, but after hearing Hayasaka-san suggest we act tonight, I feel uneasy.}

{Goto Ichiri: I'm fine here too. My mom, dad, and little sister Niri—they're my most important family. As for Nijika, it's just her and Hoshika. I've already relayed Kita's message through the power of the object of my consciousness. Anyway, if it's going to be a mission, I—I'm fine!}

Within the mental link, the two girls' responses were not surprising. However, Miko's use of the word "feeling" made Gao Hai somewhat uneasy, worried that she might have sensed something again. After a few seconds, he remembered that Miko's abilities had been further upgraded and she now possessed self-control, making it difficult for her to lose control easily. Even so, her casual remark still carried a lot of pressure.

"No matter what, we must get everyone in by tomorrow at the latest. We can definitely start tonight. Taka, I'm afraid you'll have to work hard running around from now on. I think Hayasaka's concerns are justified. Just like this hurricane, although it seems like there's nothing wrong with it, the fact that it happened at this time is still a bit unsettling."

While the communication continued through the mental link, back in the mansion, Kaguya also earnestly expressed her opinion after Maki spoke.

Chika didn't say anything more, but simply nodded to Kaguya, indicating that she shared the same suggestion.

"Within tomorrow? Then tonight, move the family members and friends who know the situation to Alice's Hut. Then, go door-to-door to check on the situation and move them as soon as possible."

Seeing that everyone had reached a general consensus, Gao Hai had also made a rough calculation in his mind, and then he spoke up and made a decision.

I'll go to her house with Xiao Ai first and move her parents away, since that girl is easily frightened. Then we'll go check on the other girls, including Zhenfei Qianhua. Anyway, I'll be a little busy tonight; this is something that needs to be done.

{Gao Hai: It's still very necessary to take precautions. We waited and saw before because we weren't sure what methods the other side would use, but now it's definitely time to take action.}

{Gao Hai: I'll be coming to find you soon. After we've moved everyone out, we can explain things slowly at Alice's cabin. You can say whatever you want there, so there's no need to worry about anything going wrong.}

{Goto Ichiri: I-I understand. I'll go home and prepare after I've set up the protection for Nijika. I've also told Kita; she'll be home soon to talk to her family and get ready.}

{Yotsuya Miko: Are you really in such a hurry? Well, I'll make preparations too. I know where Xiaohua's house is, so I can just go there directly.}

It was clear that there was no room for negotiation this time, and both Ichiri and Miko answered very quickly.

slam-la-

The downpour outside the window intensified at that moment.

Listening to the voice in the mental link, Jianzi casually opened her phone and found that a weather warning message had just been sent. It seemed that the hurricane, which was originally predicted to only pass through Tokyo, had changed its direction again and was heading straight for the city. Moreover, for some reason, its speed had increased even further.

This is how the same thing?

Jianzi had a vague premonition that something was wrong.

She turned her head and looked at the rain-soaked, tightly closed window.

Then, with a strange premonition, she stood up, ignoring the questioning gaze of Yurikawa Hana sitting opposite her, and walked to the window, reaching out to open it.

"Hey, what are you doing here? You'll get wet in the rain."

Xiao Hua, who was doing her homework, instinctively shouted out after seeing Jian Zi's actions.

But the girl, whose pajamas were already soaked by the rain, did not respond to her friend.

This...this is...

Jianzi's pupils had already widened.

A violent storm raged through the city, and the flying raindrops covered the streetlights, making the lights appear hazy.

But that's not the point.

For the girl who had been tormented by her own perception for the past few months, these scenes were not her focus.

"Nothing."

Seeing Zi mutter to himself, he quickly established a mental link in his mind and sent a warning to Gao Hai.

Disappeared.

They've all disappeared.

At that moment, in Yotsuya Miko's sight, all those strange, floating shadows that had been wandering through the city had completely disappeared.

Interlude 4-55: The darkness that descends upon us, the everyday life already torn apart.

They've all disappeared.

The eerie shadows that Yotsuya Miko had been seeing for the past two months, those strange and untouchable things that seemed to exist outside of the real world, that filled the sky and wandered the streets every moment, all vanished at this moment.

On the dark streets under the rain, only the dim yellow lights illuminated the empty world.

I can't feel anything.

At this moment, Jianzi received no feedback from her extraordinary senses. Even though she had actively released the limitations of her abilities, all that reached her perception was pure nothingness.

Therefore, seeing Zicai confirmed that something truly serious had happened.

{Senior! Something's happened to you! Something has changed in the real world. I can't see exactly what happened, but there must be some extremely dangerous change in our reality. Something has been fundamentally altered in its underlying logic and rules! We must act immediately!!!}

Within that mental link, Jianzi shouted desperately.

However, there was no immediate response.

Gao Hai, who should have responded immediately upon receiving her warning, did not hear her voice. Instead, she only heard a faint, fragmented noise, as if something had been disturbed—just a chaotic and meaningless signal.

She realized that her voice had not been able to fully reach Gao Hai.

This mental link, originally formed by the power of the black watch, had never been disturbed by any force and always functioned perfectly. Even when facing the crimson flowers in the [Infant Cry Village] instance, it never malfunctioned. But now, Jianzi clearly realized that this link had been interfered with by some external force and could no longer provide communication anytime, anywhere as before; it could only barely ensure that the linkers could sense each other.

why?

If even the power of the Blood Flower couldn't interfere with the Black Watch, then why is it now...? So, is it something even more terrifying than the Blood Flower?

No, not at all.

My thoughts were restricted, my emotions were affected. Calm down, calm down. I'm no longer an ordinary person helpless in the face of extraordinary beings; I've changed. After experiencing so much hardship, if I'm still filled with fear and anxiety because of unexpected situations, then what has all my previous growth amounted to?

"It's not simply a matter of stronger power. Even if it were something more powerful than the Blood Flower, it wouldn't be possible to interfere silently. In that case, the power of interference and the power of the mental link should be in fierce conflict. So, there must be other reasons involved, reasons that I don't know about."

The power of blessing has been mobilized silently.

The blessing that originated from the blood flower, which could seal Yotsuya Miko's own perception, went to the other extreme at this moment, amplifying her perception and providing powerful protection for the girl's willpower.

"Jianzi Jiang?"

Yurikawa Hana had already stood up from her seat. She didn't understand why her friend had suddenly walked to the window without saying a word, opened it, and stood there blankly, letting herself get soaked in the rain. Worried about her friend, she was about to walk towards her when she saw Miko look up at the sky. Two faint golden rays of light floated out from the girl's vision, accompanied by an aura that made her heart tremble.

"Hey?"

Completely dumbfounded, Xiao Hua opened her mouth wide, momentarily wondering if she was still half asleep.

But before she could think any further, Jianzi had already reached out her finger and, without saying a word, gouged out her own eyes.

puff-

The splattered blood instantly covered Miko's face.

The gouged-out eyes still emitted a lingering golden light, as if guided by something, drifting towards the sky. However, before that could happen, Miko tightened her fingers and crushed the eyeballs, turning them into dust along with the dissipating golden light.

"...It's the hour hand."

Under the completely bewildered gaze of the girl behind him, Miko, who had lost her eyesight, did not let out a scream, but simply said this calmly.

"The tentacles behind the veil have already reached this world through the power of the dungeon. This city has been chosen as a sacrifice, a sacrifice representing human civilization. Space has been distorted, and everyone has been forcibly given concepts beyond themselves. Therefore, as the people of this city gradually die, this world, this planet, this civilization, will also gradually die in terms of its rules."

"No, it's not just that, it's far more than that. From the moment this world was chosen, everything became special..."

"That's enough. I've seen enough. I can't look any further. Those tentacles, those things, have found me. I must leave immediately. I can't stay a moment longer."

Amidst her seemingly neurotic, muttering voice, Miko, who had lost her eyes, turned around as if she could still see, and walked to Xiaohua's side with remarkable ease. During this process, blood continued to seep from the holes in her face, staining her pajamas and pajama bottoms red, eventually flowing onto the floor and forming twisted, bloody footprints with each step.

"See...see the son?"

Unable to comprehend the current situation, Yurikawa stood frozen in place, unsure whether she should be afraid, faint, or something else.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. This kind of injury heals quickly. I'm deliberately suppressing the healing of my eyes. I'm sorry, Xiaohua, you probably can't understand the current situation right now, but there's no time to waste. The current situation has far exceeded what my senior and I anticipated. We must hurry up and escape from this place. We can't wait for the enemy to come knocking on our door."

As she spoke, Jianzi grabbed Xiaohua's hand, pulled the completely clueless girl along, and opened the door to step into the corridor.

Splash—splash—

The roaring rain seemed to intensify at that moment.

Despite losing her eyes, Miko easily led Xiaohua through the corridor and quickly descended the stairs. Her practiced movements made Xiaohua wonder if the scene of Miko gouging out her eyes that she had just witnessed was real.

"Jianzi? Xiaohua? Have you finished your homework? Oh, Jianzi?! Jianzi!!!"

When Jianzi's mother, who was watching TV in the living room on the first floor, heard the two footsteps, she subconsciously stood up and turned around to ask. Then, she froze for a moment after seeing the terrible state on Jianzi's face, and then suddenly realized what was happening and rushed forward.

"Mom, calm down, I'm fine. There are more important things for us to focus on right now."

Seeing his son reach out, she remained calm and easily placed her hand on her mother's shoulder.

Although she couldn't see what her mother looked like right now, she could sense the fear and sadness her mother felt after being frightened by her appearance.

At the same time, she could also sense that something was beginning to descend.

When darkness truly descends, and all pretense is utterly torn away, the real calamity finally begins to touch the edge of the real world. And I, as the first to truly observe them, will now have to face the first wave of their onslaught.

sizzle-

The television screen, which was originally playing a program, was now only showing flickering static.

A chilling aura surged in from all directions, making Jianzi feel an even stronger sense of discomfort than when she was in the dungeon.

She knew that this city no longer belonged entirely to the real world.

We absolutely have to hold on.

Knowing that she could probably only protect her mother and friends on her own, Miko was somewhat surprised to find that she was very calm and did not feel any fear or trembling because of the impending crisis.

Tap tap—tap tap tap—

Then she heard a dull knocking coming from the direction of the front door.

slam-la-

Splash—splash—

The rain is getting heavier.

If the original rain could be described as a downpour, then now it's more like a torrential downpour.

Xiong Mi opened a dark red umbrella and stood on the roof of a skyscraper, watching the streets below where the lights were going out in large swaths and darkness was gradually spreading.

Something is not right.

Although no actual monster has appeared yet, Xiongmi can already sense the changes in the surrounding environment.