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

To be honest, Xingge is having a bit of a headache.

This situation is not what she wanted. Everyone is clearly fighting for survival; it's one thing to be unable to cooperate, but is it really necessary to use other people's lives for this purpose? What's the point of letting things get to this point?

That being said, there's no point in thinking about it now. After all, it was that old geezer, Yuyu Hisaya, who first started the scheme. And because he failed to see through the true nature hidden beneath the kind exterior, he almost killed himself and his sister, Hongxia, with a single shout. Hoshika suspects she'll remember this for a very, very long time, until she sees him die a horrible death before she can truly let go of the past.

Well, this kind of thing needs to be considered carefully. Right now, the most important thing is to save my life and protect my younger sister, Hongxia.

Now that things have come to this, I've pretty much figured out the rules of this strange creature that keeps spinning people around in circles, making them reminisce about the past. Although it's extremely dangerous and troublesome, it's not the kind of thing that kills you instantly if you say the wrong thing. It actually gives you enough time to react each time you encounter a situation, so as long as you're careful enough, you should still be able to find a chance to escape. For now, I'll just have to continue to be patient for a while longer.

Tread - Tread -

Xingge led Hongxia forward, silently observing their surroundings as they walked.

Ahead of them, their group had arrived at an area known as the "residential" area.

Although it is called a residence, it is actually a random patchwork of various rooms, with a large number of identical rooms that seem to be repeated. It is a typical bizarre area that does not exist in the real world and is almost like a dream.

Xingge was certain that she had passed through at least six identical living rooms, twelve bedrooms, and eight kitchens. Many of the rooms were directly connected without even partition walls, so much so that the beds and sofas that should have been placed in the corners were actually attached together.

There was a strong stale smell.

The smell emanating from this dreamlike, unreal area gave Xingge the feeling that it had been abandoned for many years. However, despite the smell, the furniture around her looked brand new, and the floor even reflected light as if it had just been mopped. It was nothing like an abandoned house.

"..."

After a brief silence, Xingge tentatively reached out and, when no one was looking, lightly wiped her hand on a chair.

Then, Xingge saw the black ash covering her fingers, and watched as the ash fell from between her fingers onto the spotless floor, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Is it visual deception?

Sensing something was wrong, Xingge turned to look at Hongxia and found that she had also secretly wiped the furniture and was now wiping her hands.

The two sisters exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, continued walking forward in unison.

Among the group of five ahead, Shizuko Ogiyama, who was in the middle of the group, was recounting her past as always, with a nostalgic expression on her face from time to time. When she spoke with great emotion, she would even stop and point to a piece of furniture or an area to indicate that the things she was talking about happened there.

Honestly, if the current situation weren't so inappropriate, Hoshika felt she might have listened more carefully to what Ogiyama Shizuko was saying. Even if she knew the other woman was just repeatedly reminiscing about the past, Hoshika would still enjoy listening to such idle chatter. Perhaps because she was almost thirty, Hoshika was actually quite nagging in her daily life, but the current situation simply didn't allow her to do so. Therefore, all her mental energy was focused on analyzing the current situation and figuring out how to break the deadlock and escape.

So, the first issue we must pay attention to now is dust.

Xingge hadn't forgotten the rule posted by Fujiwara Chika that was displayed on the computer screen: "A clean environment reflects the safety of the surroundings to some extent." Although this rule mentioned that it couldn't be used as a precise judgment, a "dirty and messy environment" was definitely dangerous. As they walked, the stale smell in the surrounding environment became increasingly obvious, and seemingly clean furniture revealed black ash when touched. Clearly, the surrounding area was becoming increasingly dirty without them realizing it, which meant that danger was gradually approaching.

Simply pretending to know nothing and circling around the various areas is definitely not a good idea. Even if this seems to keep Shizuko Ogiyama in a stable state and prevent her from transforming into a monster and launching an attack, as she passes through more and more scenes, some unseen danger will likely gradually accumulate in the process.

For example, the pollution and cognitive damage that spread unnoticed are dangers that are difficult to prevent. Even though she and Hongxia possess the protective powers of the Crimson Domain fragment and the mental fragment located in their brains, they would still encounter problems if they were exposed to a polluted environment for a long time. After all, the protection of the fragments has its limits, and if they continue to rely on their power, they will soon be driven to despair due to the exhaustion of their protective power.

Next, let's try to find other possible unusual traces or obviously hidden areas, and see if we can find an escape route. Hoshika thought that although Hisaya Yuuyuki, that old bastard, deliberately tricked them once, his idea of ​​finding a way out through the ceiling panel was still quite innovative. At first, she only thought about finding doors that could be opened, without considering that it didn't necessarily have to be a "door" to lead to other areas. In addition, Hondou Haruka's figure also illustrated the point to some extent. Some areas that might seem dangerous could perhaps be used to get rid of the influence of this strange thing, but if they were to do so, they would have to carefully calculate the gains and losses.

step-step-

As she pondered, Xingge slowly moved forward.

The end of this area, pieced together from numerous indoor architectural zones, was not yet visible. As for any areas that could be considered unusual and worth exploring, Xingge had not yet found them after observing carefully for quite some time.

"Sister, I have another idea."

Xingge searched for a while but found nothing. Hongxia suddenly reached out and tugged at her sleeve, then looked up at her and said.

"what happened?"

Seeing Hongxia's hesitation, Xingge lowered her voice and asked, glancing warily at Jiu Gu Yu Xiong. Finding him indeed staring in their direction, she glared back fiercely, meeting his gaze without blinking. Only after the old man withdrew his gaze with a sinister expression did Xingge turn back to Hongxia, signaling her to continue.

“I want to try communicating with her; I think that might give me some clues.”

Then she heard her sister's reply, which made her face darken.

"No, absolutely not. This is too dangerous. The other party clearly has the ability to mentally corrupt. Even with protection, we can't act recklessly like this."

Xingge rejected her younger sister's idea without hesitation. As the older sister, she could not accept such a risky behavior under any circumstances.

“We’re already in danger, so taking some risks is necessary if we want to leave. I don’t see anything wrong with that. But sister, you and I have both been taught by Mr. Gao Hai the basics of dealing with strange creatures. Don’t you think that someone with such a strong urge to talk might actually be hiding some kind of clue? I think it’s necessary to get closer to her. At least through conversation, I think I might be able to probe the direction of her obsession, which could help us break this deadlock.”

However, Hongxia was no less determined than Xingge. Seeing her sister's firm opposition, the girl became even more determined and took a step forward to go towards Ogiyama Shizuko.

"Even so, I won't let you go! If you want to ask, I'll ask. You're just a high school student, not some savior from a comic book. What are you doing getting involved?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Xingge reached out and grabbed Hongxia's shoulder to stop her from going over, her voice becoming anxious.

Under no circumstances should Hongxia be allowed to get into danger.

They were forced to separate in front of Gate 109 before, and he was knocked unconscious, but now that his sister is right in front of him, he absolutely cannot let her take the risk!

"I'm a high school student just like her, so I'm more likely to get the questions I want to ask. Besides, even if my older sister came, she probably wouldn't know what to ask, right?"

Hongxia was quite helpless at her older sister's flustered state of concern, and could only struggle while trying to explain to Xingge. But no matter what she said, Xingge had no intention of letting go, and the two sisters ended up in a tug-of-war, slowing down their progress.

At this crucial moment, you're thinking of taking on everything yourself. But the problem is, this isn't something that can be achieved simply by trying harder, is it?

At this moment, Hongxia felt extremely helpless. Although she knew her older sister's personality, she still wanted to stop her from acting even at such a dangerous time. She really didn't know what to say. Meanwhile, as the two of them were entangled, Hisaya Yuu, who had been ignored not far away, had silently advanced a considerable distance and reached the position of the group of five in front of them. He then lowered his head slightly and coughed.

What are you doing?

A chilling voice, accompanied by a gust of cold wind, appeared beside the two sisters in the next moment.

A strong sense of crisis immediately calmed Hongxia and Xingge down. When they looked up, they saw Ogiyama Shizuko standing in front of them with a smile on her face, and four figures with their heads down like dolls beside her.

Why did we suddenly come here? We didn't go anywhere else this time, and we didn't deliberately break away from the group, did we?

Hoshika was baffled that a careless oversight had led to this situation, while Hongxia had already turned her gaze to Hisaya Yuu not far away, and unsurprisingly saw the other party's gloating and smug expression.

Did he attract Shizuko Ogiyama's attention, and then the way my sister and I were pulling at each other caught her attention?

In other words, even if you don't leave the group, will you still attract her attention if you do anything that seems unusual to Shizuko Ogiyama?

"It's nothing, I was just talking to my sister—"

Hongxia opened her mouth to explain, but before she could say a word, Xingge covered her mouth and warned her with a stern look not to speak.

"We only exchanged a few words, it's nothing, nothing at all."

As she spoke, Hoshika smiled at Shizuko Ogiyama, who looked at her silently for a moment before turning away, quickly resuming her smiling expression and continuing to talk as she walked. This time, however, Nijika noticed that Shizuko Ogiyama's complexion hadn't fully recovered; it remained almost deathly pale. The four followers hadn't completely returned to normal either, still keeping their heads down, their steps unsteady.

The situation is worsening.

Both the speed at which this thing appeared and the current incomplete recovery indicate that the situation is deteriorating.

My sister and I hadn't actually separated from the group; we were just a little further apart and seemed to be arguing. Then that thing appeared immediately. And unlike the previous times it appeared, at least its first words sounded human. This time, it possessed a strong inhuman quality from the moment it appeared—something unprecedented.

Perhaps, as this thing transforms from a human into a monster more and more often, its already diminishing human aspect will gradually peel away, leaving only the aspect of a monster—incapable of communication and understanding. And at that time, it's very likely that if my sister and I make even the slightest movement, it will immediately approach and attack us.

The more the girl thought about it, the more urgent she felt, and the more helpless she became towards her older sister. After all, if her sister hadn't stubbornly stopped her from acting, she wouldn't have known that Hisaya Yuuko had found a weakness that attracted Ogiyama Shizuko's attention. But then again... in just a few words, was that old man already going to find a way to retaliate? And judging from his expression, he was clearly not satisfied yet, and would probably try to launch a new round of revenge soon. Ugh, what kind of person is this? Even at a time like this, he still wants to do this kind of thing?

"Stop saying things like 'try to communicate with the other person,' let's think of other ways."

While Hongxia was pondering, Xingge breathed a sigh of relief and quickly looked at Hongxia with a serious expression.

"But, sister..."

Hongxia pursed her lips, wanting to try to persuade the other party again.

"No buts, please, I'll figure something out."

But Xingge had clearly made up his mind. With neither Liang nor Gao Hai present, it was obviously impossible for Hongxia alone to persuade Xingge.

“I know you do have ideas, but now is not the time for you to take charge. Leave it to me, leave it to me, the adult.”

"If it really comes down to doing something, I'll let you do it. You know, Hongxia, I'm not an unreasonable person."

Seeing that Hongxia's expression wasn't very good, Xingge sighed and gently patted her little sister's head.

For a moment, Xingge recalled what Hongxia looked like when she was a child. She remembered that when she was young, in pursuit of so-called youth and freedom, she was active with her band friends and was almost never at home. She was even the last in her family to know about her mother's accidental death.

At that time, Hongxia, who hadn't spoken to her for a long time, was a withdrawn and autistic child. She had shut herself off and refused to go to school because of her mother's death. Trying to make amends, she started living with her younger sister, combing her hair, taking her to and from school, and even taking her to see her band's performance. Little by little, the two girls, who should have been blood relatives, gradually transformed from near strangers back into the sisters they should be.

Later, Hongxia developed a longing for bands. She started learning drums and began to have her own dreams and expectations. However, in order to support her younger sister, she chose to give up the band and opened the Star Livehouse to support her sister.

From that time until now, Xingge knows that the most important person in her life is Hongxia, her younger sister.

Therefore, we must protect her.

Even if she herself was actually inadequate and had little power to resist such terrifying beings as the strange creatures, as long as she was alive, she would never let Hongxia willingly step into danger. As long as she was here, she would do everything in her power to protect Hongxia.

Therefore, she could not agree to let Nijika take the initiative to approach the current Shizuko Ogiyama and try to obtain clues through dialogue.

"..."

Hongxia did not try to persuade her sister again.

She had already realized from Hoshino's attitude that there was no room for negotiation. Therefore, she could only abandon the idea of ​​communicating with Ogiyama Shizuko and suppress it for the time being. Perhaps she would try it later if the opportunity arose, but she certainly couldn't do that in front of Hoshino right now.

"I've found the entrance to the next area. Ah, it looks like a library. I remember this library well; I think I used to come here often. I think this should be a safe place, so everyone can follow me without worry."

So after that, until Shizuko Ogiyama reached the end of this chaotic area of ​​buildings and opened the entrance to the next area, Hoshika was unable to find any possible side paths or passages, and walked on without any results.

Shizuko Ogiyama opened the door and smiled at the three people behind her, while the four figures who had been following her had disappeared without a trace.

With no other option, Xingge had to grit her teeth and keep walking forward, while Hongxia followed behind her.

Nakuya Yuo didn't do anything in this round. He walked forward calmly as if taking a stroll, nodding as a greeting when he passed by Ogiyama Shizuko before entering the door.

The next area that appeared before them was, as Shizuko Ogiyama had described, an enormous library. This place was somewhat similar to the convenience store they had passed through earlier, with rows of bookshelves stretching in all directions, seemingly endless no matter which way they looked, making it feel like entering a surreal maze.

We've found nothing here before, is there a way out?

Xingge took a deep breath, then choked on the dust she inhaled.

Standing beside Xingge, Hongxia covered her nose with her hand. She looked up at the skylight, at least ten meters high, and the brilliant sunlight streaming through it, illuminating the enormous library where they were. Judging by its appearance alone, one would likely think it was a very clean and tidy place, a truly comfortable spot.

However, for Hongxia, who was actually there, a mere sniff revealed a strong smell of decay and dust. The air seemed filled with moisture and dust particles, putting a strain on her respiratory system and lungs. Furthermore, when Hongxia looked towards the bookshelves in the shadows, she noticed some black plastic bags, resembling garbage bags, carelessly discarded in a dark corner.

Even if it's not visible on the surface, there's no doubt that the environment is getting dirtier and dirtier, and the appearance of garbage bags in the area speaks volumes.

They haven't done anything wrong, so why is the surrounding environment becoming increasingly dangerous? It feels like the rate of deterioration in the area is accelerating. Is this normal? Or is there some variable we haven't noticed?

Hongxia gradually felt uneasy, and Xingge's face darkened, unable to maintain her composure.

"I often come here to study, put on my headphones, take my books, and sit here for an entire day..."

Shizuko Ogiyama, standing ahead, continued to reminisce about her past.

"Just like before, in the dormitory and in the classroom, you are a good student who loves to study. I know that very well, and I think Miss Ijichi and her sister over there also know it, after all, they met you in the classroom before, didn't they?"

At that moment, Hisaya Yuu suddenly spoke up, glancing casually at Nijika Hoshika and the other person on the other side, before joining the conversation with Ogiyama Shizuko.

What's going on? What is this guy doing?

Hoshika was taken aback when the old man spoke up, unsure how to respond. Meanwhile, Nijika frowned as she listened to Hisaya Yuu's words. She immediately realized that the old man's purpose in speaking was to emphasize that [Ogiyama Shizuko encountered Hoshika and Nijika in the classroom area].