Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Chapter 18: Do Not Trust Those Who Left You Once

The voice of Shinomiya Kaguya.

It sounded very ordinary, without any issues, a calm and gentle voice.

But this was a sound that should not have appeared so naturally and effortlessly at this moment.

Takahashi Takakai and Shijo Maki simultaneously widened their eyes in astonishment.

"Is there something wrong with this door? Hmm, as expected, the lock core is stuck; no wonder you two have been staying in the room without coming out."

"Step back a little; let me figure out how to open the door."

The voice outside the door continued.

That voice, no matter how many times it was heard, unmistakably belonged to Kaguya, interspersed with the voices of Green, Sun Dajun, and others discussing among themselves.

The four people who had separated earlier now seemed to be standing outside the door.

How could this be possible…

At this moment, Takakai could not suppress the astonishment in his heart.

He understood very well what it meant to hear Kaguya's voice at this time.

Do not respond under any circumstances!

Without hesitation, Takakai immediately reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of earplugs he had taken from the supply crate earlier.

At all costs, do not respond, do not listen to the sounds outside.

As long as he couldn't hear, there was still hope. As long as there was no interaction, there was still a chance to survive!

Thus—

Bang!

Accompanied by a loud crash, the door to the living room was kicked open on the spot.

Holding a makeshift torch made of a wooden stick and cloth, Shinomiya Kaguya lowered her raised leg and stepped into the room.

"Are you okay? After you two disappeared, the door to Room 208 was opened. We felt something was very wrong in this house, so we decided to take a risk and search for you. The hallway at night was completely twisted, and we still don't know why such a phenomenon occurred."

Kaguya spoke with a face full of concern. Behind her, Sun Dajun stepped forward with an apologetic expression and bowed his head to Takakai and Shijo Maki.

"I'm truly sorry... I... I thought you were kidnappers or something. It wasn't until I saw the state of this place that I realized you're actually good people. I'm so sorry, truly sorry."

Sun Dajun spoke with a face almost on the verge of collapse.

Maeda Miwa timidly stepped forward, cautiously apologizing while occasionally sniffling and sobbing softly.

Green stood not far away, shaking his head and muttering things like, "What's the point of apologizing now?" However, his disappointed expression revealed that he had derived some satisfaction from previously looking down on Sun Dajun and Maeda Miwa.

Takahashi Takakai and Shijo Maki remained frozen in place.

What was happening before their eyes once again exceeded their understanding.

How could these people just walk into the room like that?

Previously, even the "horror story" about the "knocking door" had never truly materialized before them.

But this time, why did these people enter directly, and moreover, they looked completely normal, without any signs of abnormalities?

"Are you okay? Did you encounter any danger here?"

Kaguya looked at Takakai and Shijo Maki, asking seriously.

There was no sign of anything unusual.

No, to be precise, there shouldn't have been anything unusual at all.

"I thought... you had turned into some kind of horrifying creature."

Takakai spoke with a slightly stiff tone, but his voice quickly smoothed out, sounding like a normal conversation.

"How could that happen? I am, after all, the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family. There's no way I could fail so easily. By the way, after nightfall, all the wall clocks disappeared. It seems the night here operates under a different set of rules. We should return to our rooms as soon as possible to ensure our safety."

Kaguya spoke seriously, motioning for Takakai and Maki to follow her, then turned and stepped outside.

"Oba-sama, and everyone else... there really isn't anything wrong... is there?"

Maki asked blankly, her feet unconsciously following.

Had something been forgotten?

Her steps continued forward.

Takakai and Shijo Maki walked alongside Kaguya, leaving the living room and entering the hallway outside, which was now in ruins and distorted.

No, was there something I forgot?

Takakai glanced down at the black watch on his left wrist.

It was clear they had finally reunited safely.

Even though this apartment was riddled with dangers.

With so many people gathering together like this, surely they could overcome difficulties and survive well here.

There was still so much he needed to understand.

With Kaguya's help and the others, everything would undoubtedly become clear.

Takakai raised his head, looking at Kaguya walking ahead of him.

However, he still felt as though he had forgotten something.

Something that should not be forgotten—something he should have asked the moment he saw Kaguya.

What was it?

"Shi... Shinomiya-san..."

Takakai slowly spoke, struggling to get the words out.

What was it?

"Yes, Takahashi-san, is something the matter?"

Shinomiya Kaguya turned her head, calmly looking at Takakai and asking.

What was I planning to say?

Takakai stared intently at the girl in front of him, holding the torch.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out, as though something were lodged in his throat—his thoughts felt like they had turned into a congealed mass of oil, completely losing their ability to function.

I was supposed to ask something.

Takakai thought to himself.

I absolutely had to ask something.

But what?

The more he thought about it, the more hazy it became.

The words he wanted to say were right on the tip of his tongue, yet he couldn't utter them.

"Takahashi-san?"

Seeing that he still hadn't responded, Kaguya asked again, puzzled.

What is it?

Takakai lowered his head once more.

His gaze once again fell on the broken watch on his left wrist.

That question, yes, that question wasn't just about him.

It also concerned Maki.

This question was incredibly important, and he needed to know the answer immediately.

"Well..."

Finally, Takakai recalled something and spoke slowly.

"Well... Shi... Shijo-san, right, Shijo-san's bag was lost. Did you... happen to pick it up?"

Even though he couldn't remember the exact details, Takakai recalled it had been something kept in a bag.

"Oh, right, the bag I picked up in Room 205..."

Maki, who had been in a daze, raised her head and looked toward Kaguya.

"Oh, so it's this? Here, I'll return it to you now."

Kaguya removed an old, worn backpack from her shoulders and handed it back to Maki.

Since the moment Kaguya had kicked open the door, she had been carrying the backpack, yet neither Takakai nor Maki had noticed it.

Maki took the backpack and instinctively unzipped it.

The backpack was deflated, looking as though it held nothing. When she opened it, all she saw was an old, dirty piece of paper inside.

Seeing the paper, Maki showed no particular emotion, calmly zipped the bag back up, and slung it over her shoulders.

"Do you need me to carry it for you?"

Green stepped forward, smiling as he offered.

Kaguya, standing in front of Maki, simply observed her silently. Sun Dajun and Maeda Miwa had moved closer from behind, curiously watching Maki, who remained still with the backpack on her shoulders, not continuing forward.

"Yeah, that'd be helpful," Maki said softly.

"Alright, I'll—uh—"

Green's smile froze immediately.

He didn't receive the old, tattered backpack from Maki.

What greeted him instead was a powerful kick between his legs, causing the man to double over almost instantly.

Crack!

Taking a step forward, bending slightly, and twisting her body, Maki unleashed a fierce elbow strike.

Without hesitation, she slammed her elbow into Green's temple as he bent over, knocking the large man out on the spot. The size difference between them created a stunning visual effect, akin to Peter Dinklage taking down Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with a series of skillful moves.

Immediately after, Maki crouched low and delivered a kick to Sun Dajun's shin just as he tried to rush at her, causing him to topple over and crash into Maeda Miwa. Without delay, she delivered another kick, taking both of them down at once.

In less than two seconds, Maki had incapacitated three people. She then quickly turned around to face Kaguya, who stood ahead.

With a swift motion, Maki tore the backpack off her shoulders, gripping one of the straps tightly as she swung it forcefully at Kaguya. However, Kaguya dodged it gracefully with a slight tilt of her body.

Maki followed up with a punch, but Kaguya deflected it with a well-placed palm strike.

In the next instant, the two closed in on each other. Maki attempted to grapple Kaguya, but Kaguya countered with a strong push, shoving her backward.

Maki stumbled back, but instead of retreating toward Green or Sun Dajun, she utilized the subtle shift in their footing from the push to maneuver herself closer to Takakai.

Thud—

Maki accelerated and collided heavily with Takakai, causing him to stagger. In one swift motion, she grabbed his arm, pulling him along as she began to run.

"Run, don't stop!"

Maki shouted, pulling Takakai along as they sprinted forward. It took Takakai a few seconds to register what was happening, but once he did, he ran without hesitation, the two of them racing down the distorted hallway.

"What are you two doing? Running down the hallway at night is dangerous! Stop running around recklessly!"

Kaguya immediately gave chase, torch in hand, her voice calling out loudly behind them.

"Shut up! Don't talk to me using my Oba-sama's voice!"

Maki screamed angrily, but her voice trembled more than ever.

A piece of paper slipped out of the tattered backpack, fluttering in the air before settling on the floor.

On the paper was a single short sentence, written in shaky, messy handwriting that still carried a delicate, feminine grace:

[Don't trust me]

The moment Takakai saw those words, the sluggish thoughts in his mind dissolved entirely.

He poured every ounce of energy into sprinting forward, fleeing from whatever it was chasing behind him.

With a burst of adrenaline, Takakai and Maki managed to maintain their lead, putting a significant distance between themselves and Kaguya. They ran through the warped hallway, pushing their bodies to the limit.

The hallway was grotesque and skewed, its layout blending together elements of a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and other areas. Piles of garbage bags and debris cluttered the way, with crumbling walls spreading chaos, and shattered doors opening into nowhere.

What is this place?

Takakai had no time to think. He could only run, keeping pace with Maki and using every bit of strength to avoid falling behind.

"Stop running! Stop now!"

Kaguya's voice echoed behind them, filled with worry.

"Don't do this, don't make things difficult for everyone. This isn't the right thing to do!"

Her voice was persistent, almost imploring, as it drew closer and closer, never far from their ears.

"Only bad children wander at night without going home. If you keep this up, you'll become bad children!"

The sound grew nearer, as though she was about to catch up at any moment.

They dashed through the chaotic corridors.

The air buzzed with faint murmurs, as though countless people were whispering behind them.

It felt like countless pairs of eyes were staring at them.

Eyes hidden in the shadows, watching every move they made but taking no action.

They simply watched.

Each time, every time, it was always the same. Just watching.

No, these aren't my thoughts.

What is this, really?

Takakai's eyes widened as his pace faltered.

Ahead of him stood a figure.

A battered, disheveled figure, with bloodstains on their clothes.

Old Guo.

"So, it's happening again. This time with a different face, huh?"

Before Takakai could utter a single word, Old Guo spotted him and Maki running toward him.

His expression twisted in rage as he raised his right hand, revealing a black handgun gripped tightly in his fingers.

Đoang! Đoang! Đoang!

Three gunshots rang out in quick succession, their flashes momentarily illuminating the dim hallway.

Caught mid-run, Takakai couldn't avoid the sudden danger. Maki shoved him forcefully, and they both tumbled into a heap of trash piled along the corridor.

Behind them, Kaguya halted abruptly, swaying slightly before taking an unsteady step backward.

[That's why I said, children who don't stay home at night are bad kids. Why don't you understand?]

A cold voice echoed as the girl slowly lifted her head.

"Damn it… this has gone way too far," Takakai muttered under his breath, lying on the floor and staring up at Kaguya's face.

Crimson red spread like ink across her pale features.

From the socket of her eye, pierced by a bullet, viscous liquid oozed out drop by drop.

On her cheek, where another bullet had torn through, a thick black substance began seeping from the wound.

"Shit… not again," Old Guo cursed, staggering backward as if to retreat.

[How cute.]

Despite having two bullets go clean through her head, Kaguya stepped forward with unnerving grace, pursuing Old Guo.

Her pace quickened, faster than when she had chased after Takakai and Maki. It was as if some unseen restraint had been shattered. Within moments, she closed the distance to the man, who was desperately trying to escape.

Takakai didn't dare look back to see what unfolded behind him. The guttural screams of agony and despair echoed through the hallway, but he refused to pay them any mind.

Instead, he forced himself up, helping Maki to her feet, and without hesitation, sprinted in the opposite direction.

In that fleeting moment, the horrifying reality of the rule—"No fatal injuries or rendering someone unconscious"—finally made sense to him.

From a distance, the faint sound of children laughing reached his ears before it was quickly swallowed by silence.

The ground beneath their feet groaned ominously, splitting open into jagged cracks.

Takakai had no idea where they were running. He just kept moving forward, dragging Maki along as the world around them warped and twisted.

Then, suddenly, the sharp sound of breaking filled the air.

The floor beneath them gave way.

Takakai and Maki fell, tumbling into a heap of refuse. Dust and rubble rained down, covering them in a suffocating layer of debris.