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

Chapter 20: The Two Walk Through the Chaotic World

The violent explosion had collapsed at least five or six floors and ceilings.

As Takakai supported and helped Shijo Maki rise from the rubble, he saw that in the raging flames, layers of the building's structure were twisting, stretching almost endlessly from the bottom to the top, with no clear end in sight. He had no idea how far this chaotic building stretched.

"With such a massive explosion, it must have been really powerful explosives, right?"

Shijo Maki, her face pale, murmured, then quickly realized the abnormalities around her.

However, because action was inconvenient, Takakai took the first step. He grabbed Shijo Maki's shoulders, lifted her as if she were a giant doll, and began running quickly in the opposite direction of the explosion.

The surrounding noise was growing louder.

In the ruins, from the disordered doors of the rooms, more and more things were being stirred by the loud noises, starting to move upwards.

They couldn't afford to be caught by these things.

Without the clock to turn back time, if they got caught here, everything would truly be over.

"Where exactly is this place? It feels like no matter which direction we go, everything is just a chaotic structure like this. Could this be the apartment building we lived in before?"

Shijo Maki whispered while nervously scanning the surroundings.

She thought the absurd things she had seen today were enough, but in reality, this place could always surpass her imagination. The endless pile of ruins before her, like a nightmare, felt like something from a disaster movie, yet it carried a strange surreal feeling.

Could they find a way out of here, or maybe the clock?

Within her heart, her anxiety gradually became boundless.

"This should be the 3rd floor."

Takakai calmly answered Shijo Maki.

"The 3rd floor? How could it be? This place looks like this..."

Shijo Maki paused for a moment, not fully understanding his meaning.

"Even if the Shirakawa apartment was like that before, it's now become a surreal, absurd world. The 2nd floor we used to live on was probably less affected by the danger of room 304, and not near the exit on the 1st floor, so it still seemed normal on the surface. But on the other hand, the 1st floor has now been hidden and can't be exited normally. The abnormality of the 3rd floor from room 304 has spread throughout the entire 3rd floor, and this entire ruin is now the 3rd floor, an endless ruin. Hmm, this is just my guess, but it probably isn't far from the truth."

Takakai spoke in a calm tone while continuing to run forward, carrying Shijo Maki.

"304... If I remember correctly, when I looked down through that hole..."

Shijo Maki's expression changed slightly. Although she couldn't see clearly at that time, she still remembered that the bottom floor of the ruin that appeared after the explosion was a bright red. There was a door standing there, one that, even though she couldn't see it clearly, still made her feel a chill down her spine.

"Yeah, that's right. I think the rooms actually on the 3rd floor might have been hidden in different areas of this ruin. Like where we used to live, and the hidden areas that have appeared due to this explosion."

Takakai replied, while he couldn't help but think of Old Guo, an experienced player with many obvious tricks.

What had turning the clock to speed up ultimately gained for that guy, to the point where he had to risk it all to make the time of the apartment building change to night?

Could it be that there was something that could only be explored at night, or was it for some benefit that he decided to take the risk? Or was there some other reason?

Anyway, that guy was now as dead as can be. Takakai couldn't help but wonder if Old Guo regretted his actions.

To be honest, from everything that guy has shown so far, he at least possesses a tool capable of hypnosis or mind control, carrying supernatural power, which could be what Green once mentioned—[Obsession].

Moreover, he has a gun, shoots accurately, and his physical strength and endurance are also remarkable. Fake Kaguya, although currently the weakest entity among the "horror stories" Takakai has encountered, could still be said to be the only one capable of resisting or escaping. But from the way Shijo Maki and Old Guo struggled with it, it could at least be considered as having the qualities of a Captain America, and even being immortal. And since Old Guo could endure the attacks for several minutes without dying, it's clear he has some real power.

He even carries explosives. If he had used them on the 2nd floor earlier, then... Yeah, it seems that besides eliminating all the players, they had no effect, because these "horror stories" don't seem to fear physical attacks like that.

I wonder what would happen if a player brought a nuclear bomb into a "horror story" and detonated it?

Just a short time without danger, and Takakai couldn't help but think about all kinds of things.

Ahead of them, the chaotic paths and numerous items continued to stretch on—beds upside down on the ceiling, cabinets tilted against the walls, staircases half climbing up, and various doors opening and closing messily, along with piles of trash bags and scattered debris.

Boom—

As they moved, Takakai kicked a trash bag, and a sharp sound came from within.

He looked down and saw the trash bag burst open, and empty beer cans fell out.

They were the cheap beers sold at street-side stalls, the lowest quality beer. The packaging looked like regular beer, but anyone who had drunk it would immediately recognize it as cheap beer produced in small illegal factories, only the poorest of the poor would think of using this to self-soothe.

"What's going on?"

Shijo Maki, on Takakai's back, noticed his slowed pace.

"These trash bags seem to be full of empty beer cans."

Takakai replied as he continued to move through the chaotic buildings.

"What do you think?"

Shijo Maki furrowed her brow and thought for a while but couldn't come up with anything useful. For her, a princess living in a luxurious castle, cheap beer was still something distant, and she couldn't link anything valuable from it.

"Just a few guesses. This beer is the cheapest kind, and with so many cans, it could have been used in a gathering by a group of people? Or maybe it was from someone drinking it? Anyway, these piles of beer trash keep appearing, and I feel like it might be the real trace of a household that once lived in the Shirakawa apartment, left behind in this way. Hmm... but it's just a guess, no need to dwell on it."

Takakai thought for a long time before sharing his thoughts.

"Really? Things like this, oba-sama and I would probably never figure them out, given the obvious differences in environment and perspective. But how do you know so much about this? Have you ever drunk beer? Or are you the type to compose things after a few sips of beer?"

Shijo Maki, still unable to imagine, shook her head and began to focus on something else.

"...No, after drinking alcohol, I can't write anything at all. But, how should I put it, whether it's family gatherings, schoolmates, or friends, no gathering is complete without alcohol. I have a rather sensitive sense of taste and smell, so I can detect certain things. But for myself, I truly dislike drinking because it messes with my thoughts."

As Takakai spoke, he suddenly stopped and looked intently at something.

"Oh? I've never drunk alcohol, but the adults in my family considered wine-tasting a mandatory lesson and planned to teach me when I grew up. Huh? What's going on? Why did you stop all of a sudden?"

Shijo Maki answered while paying attention to Takakai's actions, then followed his gaze forward.

It was a window.

In the distorted and chaotic building, the window seemed quite normal.

However, unlike the windows on the 2nd floor and not like the one in the room where they were trapped, this window was not closed. It remained in its normal state.

At this moment, the window was even open, and they could see the calm sky outside, with a faint moon hanging.

"Outside the window... that's..."

No, wait.

There was no moon, no stars.

As soon as she realized this, Shijo Maki quickly closed her eyes, while Takakai swiftly turned and started running in the opposite direction of the window.

Outside the window...

The images outside the window...

That image was etched deeply in the girl's mind, as though one glance was enough to never forget.

It was floating...

No, no, it was falling, more like it...

It was falling upwards... like a star...

(Note: Honestly, I don't quite understand what this part is describing.)

"Don't think about that anymore. We didn't see any window," Takakai suddenly spoke, bringing Shijo Maki back to her senses immediately.

"How is it that every time we encounter a situation like this, you can snap back so quickly? Tsk, it's like being hypnotized."

Shijo Maki shook her head, not continuing to dwell on the strange thoughts she just had, but still not understanding why Takakai had such a unique reaction.

"Maybe it's a natural ability of mine, just that I never noticed it before. Tsk, something's following us."

While joking, Takakai suddenly noticed an unusual sound beside them.

Shijo Maki was the first to catch on, quickly pulling Takakai's hand to guide him away. Immediately, Takakai stepped aside, and just then, a wall next to them exploded. A cold figure emerged from behind the wall, raising its head and locking eyes with Shijo Maki, who was still on Takakai's back.

"Dammit, is that you? Mr. Refrigerator?!"

And as soon as Takakai saw the figure, he recognized it—it was the corpse of the man from the refrigerator, the one who had been silently motionless on the 2nd floor earlier.