Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

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　Sajuna gasped, covering her pink lips with both hands. Her eyes were wide with shock. 

"Y-you... What are you 'doing'?!" 

The sight before her was beyond comprehension. The pitch-black, mangled hand of a vengeful spirit rested in Amamiya's grasp—a hand with flesh torn and rotted, utterly horrifying. Yet here he was, casually touching it as if it were some strange collectible, even commenting on its texture. 

'This guy is insane!' 

'Too insane!' 

'I've never seen anyone with such a twisted sense of curiosity!' 

"You're overreacting," Amamiya said, his tone calm and unbothered. "Take a deep breath and calm down." 

"Overreacting? Anyone would be losing it if they saw what you're doing!" Sajuna's mind screams internally, though she stays rooted to the spot, too stunned to move. 

Amamiya, still holding the ghostly hand, continued in a steady tone, "Ghosts typically follow specific rules when attacking. If we panic and run, we might trigger those rules and get attacked immediately." 

"That… actually makes sense." 

Sajuna nodded subconsciously, recalling stories from Umi about previous dungeons. She knew some vengeful spirits had peculiar attack patterns. Running blindly was often a fast track to disaster. 

Amamiya's voice grew firmer. "The best way to deal with fear is to confront it. In the face of terror, we need to 'investigate and understand'—observe, analyze, and overcome it." 

Sajuna covered her mouth with both hands, her expression a mixture of disbelief and helplessness. "That's a vengeful spirit. How are we supposed to 'study' it?" 

"At least we've learned one thing," Amamiya replied, his tone still maddeningly composed. "This ghost has a physical form. That means it can be restrained." He paused before adding, "Isn't that right… outlaw Don?" 

The moment he finished speaking, a deep, raspy voice echoed from behind him. 

"… Don is here." 

"Huh?" 

Sajuna's eyes widened, the sudden voice sending a chill down her spine. Then, realization dawned. 

"It's that 'sweeping away gangsters and eliminating evil' skill combo!" 

Before entering the game, Amamiya had equipped himself with the skill set designed to counter evil entities. And now, right at the beginning, he'd already used it to neutralize the vengeful spirit's aggression. 

"Let's see what this haunted house ghost actually looks like," Amamiya murmured, still holding the ghost's wrist as he turned to look behind him. 

After a moment of silence, he quirked an eyebrow. "Tsk. Are you 'Hattori' from 'Detective Conan'?" 

Sajuna couldn't help but comment, "Even Hatori' isn't this dark." 

In the dim, eerie room, visibility was minimal, but one thing was clear—the vengeful spirit was pitch-black. Its body absorbed light, making it appear like a silhouette with no discernible features other than its vaguely human shape. If not for Amamiya holding its wrist, it would have been nearly impossible to spot. 

Reaching into his game inventory, Amamiya retrieved a flashlight and switched it on. A pale yellow beam cut through the gloom, illuminating the haunted room and the ghost before them. 

The flashlight was a practical tool he had acquired after surviving the "Cat and Mouse Game" dungeon. In most dungeons, light sources were scarce, making flashlights indispensable for navigation. Though using them carelessly could attract hostile attention, Amamiya wasn't concerned—after all, the evil spirit was now firmly restrained. 

As the light revealed the evil spirit's form, Sajuna and Amamiya finally saw its true face. 

It was a charred figure with no hair or clothing. The faint outline of a chest indicated it was female—or at least had been in life. Bloodshot eyes glared at them fiercely, the evil spirit's face a grotesque mess of burned flesh and raw wounds. Bound by Amamiya's skill, the ghost's body remained immobile, though its eyes darted about, brimming with malice. 

Amamiya, unfazed, leaned closer and asked, "Miss, would you care to say a few words?" 

The evil spirit's only response was silence. 

　　"Tsk. It seems you're not inclined to accept my offer." Amamiya's tone grew cold. "In that case, don't blame us for resorting to... more 'persuasive' methods." 

Sajuna's eyes widened in alarm. "Hey, 'persuasive methods'? What are you talking about?" 

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. This was an evil spirit they were dealing with—how exactly were they supposed to "torture" it for a confession? 

"There are plenty of ways to handle this," Amamiya replied nonchalantly. "But first, let's make things a little less disturbing. Honestly, it's hard to focus with her face staring at us like that." 

With that, he pulled out a thick yellow paper bag from his inventory and promptly placed it over Miss Ghost's head. 

"There we go. Much better." Amamiya nodded with approval, his expression completely serious. "She's got a nice figure. As long as her face is covered, she's not that scary anymore." 

Sajuna gawked at him in disbelief, but before she could respond, a deep and theatrical voice suddenly echoed through the room. 

---

[Another group of visitors has arrived at the ghost town. At this moment, a boy encounters the ghostly maiden in the haunted house…]

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Amamiya's brows furrowed slightly as he turned to Sajuna. "Did you hear that?" 

"I did." 

Sajuna clung to his sleeve nervously, her gaze darting around the dimly lit room. "There's more than one vengeful spirit here!" 

"Quiet," Amamiya said, his voice steady. "Keep listening." 

---

[What kind of boys are most likely to remain single?]

---

Sajuna blinked in confusion as the narration continued. 

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[I am lazy. I sleep whenever I can. I don't talk much, can't keep a conversation going, and spend most of my time daydreaming. I'm complacent, resent the status quo, but lack the resolve to change. I feel inferior, avoid the girls I like, and think I'm unworthy. My hobbies? Games and comics…] 

---

"What... what is this nonsense?" Sajuna muttered, a mix of disbelief and secondhand embarrassment. "What's this even about?" 

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[Although I'm not proud of it, I can't deny the fact that I'm single.]

[But today, the boy who has been single since birth became the 'undisputed' protagonist. He captured Miss Ghost in a bold and ridiculous manner, placed a paper bag over her head, and remarked, 'You have a nice figure. As long as your face is covered, ghosts aren't a problem.'] 

---

Sajuna slowly turned her gaze toward Amamiya, her expression a mix of amusement and pity. 

"So... this voice is talking about 'you'?" 

It was hard to reconcile Amamiya's cool-headed demeanor with the absurdity of the narration. 

"Oh, and by the way," Sajuna added with a sly smirk, "you're not dating Umi-chan yet, are you?" 

Amamiya's expression remained blank, his voice utterly devoid of emotion. "The voice isn't a vengeful spirit—it's the narrator." 

"Huh?" 

"I just received a system notification," Amamiya explained. 

---

[Unlimited Narration] 

[Whenever the narration sounds, you are the undisputed protagonist, and everyone will witness your highlight moments.] 

[Note: Highlight moments will increase your final score in 'The Ghost Story Files'.] 

---

"That... doesn't sound so bad," Sajuna said, blinking twice as she processed the information. "If it boosts our score, isn't that a good thing?" 

"No." Amamiya exhaled sharply, his expression grim. "It's a trap." 

"Huh?" 

"Everyone will witness your highlight moments,'' Amamiya repeated, glancing at Sajuna. "What do you think 'everyone' means?" 

"Uh... other players, maybe?" Sajuna tilted her head, her tone uncertain. "It sounds like all the players in this instance can hear the narration." 

Amamiya raised an eyebrow. "Exactly. Now, consider this: if the players can hear the narration... wouldn't the ghosts hear it too?" 

Sajuna froze, her pink hair bristling slightly as realization dawned. "Eh... hey, hey! That's... no way! They wouldn't make it 'that' unfair, right?" 

Amamiya said nothing, his silence speaking volumes.