Chapter 12
Uwaaaah!
The dance of my life, shaking everything off!
“Kuhp!”
“Eh, Miss Evelyn, stop now! What’s gotten into you!”
Why do you think, Moran!
It’s because of you!
I’d just realized for sure that someone else’s interference could make me click the wrong option in the selection window.
Next time, I absolutely won’t press the wrong one…
The two of them looked utterly baffled, unable to bring themselves to stop my dance filled with resentment.
Of course, only at first.
Moran tried to dissuade me, telling me to stop, but Holloway was clamping his mouth shut to keep laughter from escaping.
I stared wide-eyed at the rising gauge.
The more intensely I danced, the faster it filled.
I had to fill it within one minute, so now there were about thirty seconds left.
Gauge ■■■■■■■■□□
Just two more to fill…!
“Hueup!”
“Kuk kuk…”
The fierce dance continued, and with fourteen seconds left, the gauge was completely full.
Gauge ■■■■■■■■■■
Gauge charge complete!
Ha, I’d burned myself white…
Disturbing the tagger!
“Hello, is anyone there? Anyone?!”
Nearby, Alhulf’s voice rang out, trembling with fear and on the verge of tears.
The tagger’s head whipped around in response to the sound.
…Wait, so distraction means using someone else as bait?
I hadn’t expected that, so for the first time in this horror game, the only bright thing—the system window—gave me chills.
It hadn’t turned into a comedy after all.
…It was fundamentally a horror game.
The problem was that I’d let my guard down because of the bizarrely gloomy hotel and those crappy choices.
The cruel essence of a horror game hadn’t changed.
“Wait a second. Was that voice just now…”
Moran’s face turned ashen, and at the same moment, the tagger let out a shriek and dashed out like a child.
— Found a human!
— Found one, found one!
The other two voices suddenly overlapped as one.
— I can tear them to death!
At that chilling voice, Moran and I both gasped in unison.
The room after the tagger left was silent.
It was Moran who broke the quiet.
“Miss Evelyn, let’s go save him!”
“Not right now.”
“Alhulf hasn’t done anything to harm you, Miss Evelyn. Being stubborn won’t do any good!”
I furrowed my brows sharply.
It felt like she was asking if I was going to leave him to die just like Pridel.
I flung open the closet door and glared at Moran.
“Moran, how about watching your words a bit? It’d be good to let people finish speaking.”
My voice dripped with irritation, and Moran glared back, unwilling to back down.
“Oh? What is it you want to say? Do you know, Miss Evelyn? While we’re having this pointless conversation, Alhulf is in danger.”
“Then go ahead first. I’ll look for a weapon that might help and follow.”
Moran blinked stupidly, as if she hadn’t expected me to say that.
“…What?”
“If you’re worried, go ahead. Without any preparation. You’re the one scolding me, so why aren’t you moving from that spot, Moran?”
Her tone and expression seemed soft and gentle, as if trying to admonish me, but the more we talked, the more her way of speaking grated on me.
It felt like she was saying everything was my fault.
Like she was blaming me.
“What are you doing? Go ahead. I won’t go, since I’m the one leaving others to die.”
I grabbed Holloway’s hand to leave, but Moran seized his other hand and shook her head firmly with a resolute face.
“Leave the child. I can’t send him with you, lest he get tainted by your bad heart!”
…What’s with her, really? Is she possessed by an evil spirit?
At first, I thought it was just the heroine’s character, but seeing her throwing a tantrum now, a strange thought suddenly struck me.
“Moran… You seem a lot different from the person I know.”
“That’s what I want to say.”
Then there’s nothing more to say.
…Hold on.
I stared piercingly at Moran.
There’s no guarantee I’m the only player in this game, right?
What if Moran is also…
That’s when it happened.
“Kuaaaak! S-save…!”
“Alhulf!”
Startled, Moran cried out, grabbed Holloway’s hand, and bolted from the room.
Because of that, my loose grip on Holloway’s hand slipped away.
“Sis!”
“…Huh?”
I stared blankly at Holloway being dragged away weakly by Moran.
If she’s going to save Alhulf from the tagger, shouldn’t she at least leave the kid she’s supposed to protect?
I couldn’t understand why Moran was insisting on taking Holloway.
Anyway, without doing anything in particular, I’d ended up alone.
And embarrassingly so, after I’d resolved to raise his favorability.
When I wanted to be alone, it was hard to escape, but now…
Should I be happy about this?
Or should I follow?
If I followed now to raise favorability, I could probably increase it a little, but chasing after them with no preparation was practically suicide.
Finding the goal point would be the best method, but in this urgent situation, that was out of the question.
“In that case, I need a weapon.”
I needed something to hold off the tagger, even for a moment.
❖ ❖ ❖
He’d separated from Evelyn.
The way she looked blankly at her released hand seemed quite stupid.
‘Hmm.’
She might as well run away now that the chance had come.
Her words about protecting him had seemed a bit reliable, but humans could change their minds at any time.
So Holloway didn’t believe or disbelieve Evelyn just because of those words.
The slowly rising favor was something so subtle that even Holloway didn’t notice it.
“My hand hurts.”
He shook the hand that Moran was gripping tightly.
“Ah, sorry. Did it hurt a lot?”
Moran apologized and loosened her hold.
“I had no choice if we want to hurry and save Alhulf.”
Holloway looked up at her with an innocent face, as if he knew nothing.
“That’s not the Miss Evelyn I knew. It’d be better if she just threw a fit. To do that in front of a child like you. No matter how much she pushes you and Miss Evelyn together, as a human… Ha.”
She muttered softly and let out a long sigh, but Holloway heard it all.
Holloway couldn’t understand the human woman in front of him.
If that guy’s life is so precious, dragging him toward the monster made no sense.
They pretend to be kind, to give for others, but in the end, it’s all about themselves first.
Moran didn’t seem any different.
And that type of human was one Holloway disliked.
They talk as if they’re the justice of the world, but they haven’t actually stepped up to solve anything themselves.
Holloway diligently played the role of a good child.
“Sis tried to save me! That guy’s the bad one. Sis didn’t kill him; the monster did!”
Even though he’d clearly said that, Moran had already decided that Evelyn killed Pridel.
“…Holloway. Whatever it is, that’s wrong. It’s right to let them live and pay for their sins.”
Holloway sneered inwardly.
How many humans actually live to pay for their sins?
Even if they’re locked up in some prison, they’re not likely to change their hearts.
“Let’s go for now. After saving Alhulf, we’ll join the others and find a way out. Sis will protect you.”
Moran stroked Holloway’s cheek lightly, telling him not to worry.
That touch was so repulsive that Holloway dodged it with cold precision.
People who say stuff like that are a dime a dozen.
And so are the ones who can’t follow through.
‘Evelyn actually protected me.’
Would Moran do the same?
He wondered if, in the same situation, Moran could save that man and herself, just like she claimed.
The stage was set anyway, without him having to do anything.
The same situation would repeat. There, Moran would make a choice like Evelyn.
Whether to save him or not.
‘Whatever, it’d be great if they both died.’
He decided to think positively.
As long as Evelyn was alive, he’d meet her again eventually.
Just then, Alhulf started running toward them from ahead.
Holloway looked at Moran.
Would this woman really act as righteously as her words?
“Hey, monster!”
“Call me Moran!”
Moran grabbed Holloway’s hand and started running.
Alhulf chased after them from behind, waving at Moran.
“Mo-Moran!”
“Alhulf! Are you okay?!”
“Yes, yes…!”
Relieved, Moran gestured for him to hurry over.
“We need to find a place to hide first!”
“You came to save me?”
“Yes…! We have to get at least one more person out alive!”
“…Moran!”
Alhulf, his face streaked with tears, was overcome with emotion.
Holloway looked at him, so different from Pridel. Even with those words, who knew how he’d stab them in the back.
— Lots of humans!
— There are two!
“…Two?”
Moran tilted her head in confusion. Holloway gave the monsters a cold glance before speaking.
“They probably didn’t count me because I’m a kid.”
“That could be. The monsters look almost like kids too…”
Moran accepted it easily.
“Th-thank you, Moran.”
Breathing raggedly, Alhulf soon stood beside Moran and ran with them.
He was already covered in blood from being caught by the monsters several times.
His arm was wrapped in torn cloth, and he had quite a few small scratches.
“Alhulf, you’re hurt?!”
“Haa, ha… I tripped while running, sniff. But I’m okay…”
Alhulf smiled faintly, overtook Moran, and suddenly stopped.
“Alhulf?”
Facing the oncoming Moran, he stretched out both arms.
“You came all this way to save me, right? I won’t miss this chance!”
And with that, he shoved Moran away. Holloway, holding her hand, was knocked over by the recoil too.
‘As expected.’
Humans would use any method to survive.
— The one in front first!
— The one in front first!
The tagger targeted the fallen Moran. In panic, Moran reached out to Alhulf and shouted.
“Wait, Alhulf!”
“Kind Moran, sacrifice yourself for me! I’m so scared!”
Wailing, Alhulf fled without looking back.
Moran stared blankly at Alhulf’s receding figure, her face etched with shock.
“Wh-what do we do?”
When Holloway called, Moran flinched like she’d been burned.
The face of the woman who’d gone on about precious lives was quite a sight.
The tagger drew closer by the second, and though Moran got up and ran, the fall had narrowed the distance.
Being chased added to her tension, and Moran breathed heavily. Her head spun.
What was she supposed to do here?
Fight?
She’d be caught soon!
But she had no weapon. Then Evelyn’s irritated words flashed through her mind.
‘If you’re worried, go ahead. Without any preparation.’
Without any preparation…
She should have prepared.
She should have brought a weapon at least.
Moran bit her lip. She’d only spouted platitudes, but in truth, she couldn’t bear the terror of this hotel itself.
Thud.
“Aaak!”
Lost in thought, Moran’s feet tangled, and she fell. The monster was right in front of her.
The monster’s face loomed close, and Moran’s vision went black.
— Let’s hit!
At the monster’s voice, Moran reflexively dodged to the side in surprise.
The tagger’s palm came down immediately, cleanly shattering the floor where Moran had been.
