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Yuki heard a sound rise in someone's throat, then felt his sleeve being tugged. He half-turned and saw Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima shaking their heads in perfect unison.

"You two wait here. I'm just going to take a look."

"Hey, if you want to get yourself killed, don't drag us down with you."

"You two being together doesn't count as going alone, so what are you scared of?" Yuki pulled his arm free. He wasn't trying to get himself killed either. Something told him there had to be something worthwhile over there.

Just one look. Just one.

He rose onto his tiptoes, his back equally chilled with tension. The mere ten-meter distance felt like the ends of the earth as he stared fixedly at the wall around the corner.

It took him a full minute to inch his way to the corner. He pressed his back against the wall, took a deep breath, then suddenly poked his head out.

At the briefest glance, his blood-red pupils froze. Opening his mouth, he clearly and forcefully uttered one word:

"Fuck!"

The Cafeteria Is Serving Food! (Revised)

Beyond the corner was a doorless hall. The visibility was too poor to estimate its size.

By the dim light of the wall lamps, Yuki could not actually see clearly when he stuck his head out. He merely caught sight of a red cylindrical object against the farthest wall.

A fire extinguisher??

Its shape was so distinctive that it left him stunned for a moment.

After searching the Ancient Castle for several hours, he had grown accustomed to its archaic decor. Even the elegantly designed wall lamps showed no signs of being powered.

If he had seen correctly, this was the first modern object he had encountered. But Yuki had no spare attention to inspect it closely, because his second glance made him curse aloud.

"Fuck."

Chains rattled, then snapped apart. A gigantic human hand suddenly emerged from the shadows, bearing down on him like a wall.

It moved too fast. Fortunately, Yuki had only stuck his head out, so he instinctively pulled back. A fierce gust swept past his face, and behind the palm was an arm over a meter thick.

Bang!!

The wall was pressed inward at once. Stone fragments flew everywhere, and the entire basement shook. Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima, who had been holding their breath at the entrance, nearly jumped straight into the air in fright.

What the hell was that!?

Before they could ask, Yuki came sprinting back, grabbed one girl in each hand, and ran toward the entrance.

"Run! That thing isn't something we can handle!"

He was even faster than when he had fled from the Licker. Yuki did not dare look back. He only heard the cracking sounds of bones clenching, then plunged into the stairwell, flung the two girls he was holding upward, and leaped onto the landing like a tiger pouncing on prey.

Thud thud thud thud...

A barrage of crackling sounds filled their ears. Flying pebbles cut several bloody scratches across their faces. When they turned to look, the wall at the corner had already been blasted full of craters by the incoming stones.

The three exchanged bewildered looks. Hearing chains snap again, they hurriedly scrambled upward on all fours, climbing all the way back to the first floor without stopping.

Huff, huff, huff.

Yuki leaned his back against the wall. After that mad dash, it felt as though he could cough up his lungs. He had gone five or six hours without a drop of water, and his dry lips scraped against his tongue.

"Huff. Looks like that thing didn't come after us."

"And you still have the nerve to laugh? That was incredibly dangerous. Good thing the corridor wasn't tall." Hayasaka Ai frowned lightly, though she did not blame him too much. "So, what was that thing?"

"A Living Corpse."

"That's a pretty broad definition of 'Living Corpse.' Judging by that arm, it was probably over five meters tall." Mai Sakurajima took over, inadvertently hitting upon what Yuki had been thinking.

It really was huge. Setting aside the things outside the walls for now, the template for the gift should have been a Licker. Well, monsters from Resident Evil could count as Living Corpses too.

"It seems that anything which has lost its biological life yet can still move around can be called a Living Corpse, regardless of the reason." Yuki made a temporary definition and stood up with a hand on his knee.

"You're not thinking of going back to kill that monster, are you?" Hayasaka Ai stood as well, her expression saying, If you want to die, do it yourself.

"Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. Even with the terrain advantage, it can't be done." Yuki gave a dry laugh and rubbed the hilt of his sword. "That little adventure got me something. I might have found a key."

"A key?"

"Yeah. I saw something interesting." Yuki looked out the window, estimating the distance he had run earlier.

Including the first basement level and the stairs, about three hundred meters?

The Ancient Castle's main structure was divided into two buildings, front and back. This one stood on the south side, with a dense garden outside, and beyond that garden...

The city wall.

Hayasaka Ai and Mai Sakurajima held their breath, afraid of interrupting the man's thoughts. When his eyes suddenly lit up, they became excited as well.

"Did you think of something?"

"I have an idea, but I'm still missing clues. If we act on it, we'll be gambling with our lives."

Naturally, risking one's life required caution. Yuki did not offer a definite answer, yet both girls sighed in relief at the same time. At some point, they had begun trusting his judgment.

That trust came from his fighting strength, but also from the hand that had tightly held theirs while they fled. In critical moments, Yuki had made the right choices again and again.

The ominous moonlight stained the corridor red. The group kept swallowing, knowing they needed to hurry. After several hours without water, they were nearing their physical limits.

"Let's find Li Dan first. We need to borrow his..."

"All Players, gather at the top of the castle immediately!!"

Before Yuki could finish, the old Player's roar came through the Walkie-talkie. It was so sudden that all three were startled.

Something had happened.

Hayasaka Ai was the first to rush to the window. She stuck her head out and scanned both directions, quickly spotting a swaying figure charging toward the castle gates.

Black skin, a chef's uniform—wasn't that Black Brother?

But he ran strangely, with his head tilted to one side. His neck seemed to have been torn more than halfway through, and muscle fibers extended from within it, forming long, thin tapeworms that writhed back and forth.

Bang!

A dull gunshot rang out. A bowl-sized hole appeared in his waist, but he only swayed. Instead, even more tapeworms grew out of the wound.

"He probably went alone and ended up like this." Yuki came to Hayasaka Ai's side. He could roughly guess that the Licker had frightened the man into running off alone, causing him to break the taboo.

So this is what happens when you go alone?

Mai Sakurajima's scalp went numb. She had nearly become Black Brother's companion. Seeing that he still had not turned back and was continuing to run outside, she blurted out, "What is he trying to do?"

"He's going to open the gate! Damn it, so going alone doesn't just make you mutate—it turns you hostile too!" Yuki gripped his sword and quickly patted Hayasaka Ai's shoulder. "Let's go. This is getting troublesome."

They had just dealt with the gift and had not even caught their breath before another surprise arrived. Yuki felt as though a boulder were pressing against his chest, making it hard to breathe. Yet beneath that crushing pressure, he became even more determined.

You want me dead? I'll live no matter what!

The three hurried toward the front building. They had only taken a few steps when a tremendous bang made them instinctively turn their heads.

Black Brother exploded in the gateway. Flesh worms and Blood Mist scattered in every direction, and the impact quickly warped the heavy gate, which was then sliced full of holes by the worms.

Boom—

The gate fell. The Blood Mist and flesh worms were swallowed by the black shadows pressing in from outside. Yuki's pupils contracted as he failed, for a moment, to find an appropriate comparison for what he saw.

It was like the cafeteria had opened for a meal. Living Corpses swayed in like a tide, those at the front immediately trampled into pulp after falling, while those behind continued charging in. They crushed the garden, crossed the fountain, and in moments carpeted the castle grounds.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gunfire continued. That revolver truly was no ordinary weapon. There was no gap for reloading, and every shot pierced through several Living Corpses at once. But against hundreds or thousands of them, it was little more than a drop in the ocean.

They run faster than the ones in Resident Evil, about as fast as an adult jogging. Their heads are more flexible too—they even know to vault over obstacles.

Yuki observed as he ran. Based on what he knew, the Living Corpses had grown considerably stronger in five hours, but there was no room for regret now.

Crash!

Having just rushed out of the central Banquet Hall, Yuki saw the floor-to-ceiling windows instantly burst inward. Amid the spraying glass, clawing monsters poured through the castle hall.

"Mai, you take the lead! Hayasaka, cover any gaps for me. Remember, aim for the head!"

Who would dare be polite at a time like this? Mai Sakurajima sprang onto the stairs in a single stride and ran upward with her head down, only to hear a rapid series of blades cutting through flesh.

Slash—

After the gleaming silver blade swept through, several heads flew neatly into the air. Yuki stared straight at the blooming fountain of blood as he continued backing away.

Living Corpses kept pouring in through the gates and broken windows, showing no signs of stopping. They were also quite smart, knowing to climb over the railings on either side of the stairs.

They stepped through pools of blood, and everywhere he looked were savage heads. Behind them—

The red moon was full.

Fleeing for Their Lives (Revised)

Slash.

With one swing of the axe, several hands remained neatly on the railing. Hayasaka Ai no longer resembled a Shibuya-style girl in the slightest, but rather a cold executioner.

She watched Yuki sever several heads, then saw the corpses he kicked away knock down several more behind them. He then turned sideways just as a Living Corpse that had missed its lunge came straight at him.

Its gaping mouth snapped wildly, flinging saliva everywhere. Its bloodshot eyes sent chills down the spine, but after a dull bang, its bloodthirsty gaze dimmed.

The axe split open its skull and embedded deeply in its head. The girl twisted her wrist and pulled the axe free, then chopped off the head of the Living Corpse that had pounced onto Yuki's back and kicked its headless body away. Yet at that moment, several more Living Corpses climbed over the railing by forming a human ladder, and multiple arms grabbed at them together.

Chaos Item...

Bang—

Just as Hayasaka Ai was about to activate the item, a round table rolled down along the railing and smashed those Living Corpses back down.

Mai Sakurajima's chest rose and fell sharply. Standing in the second-floor hallway overlooking the hall, she threw down anything she could find.

"The big star is somewhat useful after all." Hayasaka Ai had no time to thank her. After catching her breath, she focused on covering Yuki's openings.

She was already struggling, so Yuki was clearly under even greater pressure. After cutting down more than a dozen heads in succession, his white shirt had been dyed bright red with blood. Fortunately, the staircase was only three or four meters wide, and he could hold it off while gripping his sword with both hands.

Even though the blade enhanced by permanent Reinforcement Magecraft would not dull, the aching numbness in his arms grew increasingly obvious. He chopped off several more arms before finally raising his head.

"That's enough. Knock down the chandelier!"

Hayasaka Ai looked up and spotted the chandelier above. Without a word, she swung her hand axe.

Petal extended like a whip, instantly severing the iron chain of the crystal chandelier. Since it had not touched flesh, it did not count as activating the item. She watched as the chandelier, five or six meters in diameter, fell toward Yuki's head. He kicked several Living Corpses away and spun around to dive toward her.

Bang!

Glass fragments sprayed everywhere, and the stairs shook before breaking in half down the middle, crushing a mass of twisted flesh into pulp.

Huff, huff, huff.

Yuki lay on top of Hayasaka Ai. He could feel her warm breath against his cheek and the softness beneath his palms. He met those cool blue eyes for a moment, then immediately rolled over and got to his feet.

It should have been a classic scene from a youthful romance manga, but beneath the Bloodthirsty Red Moon, it felt utterly out of place.

"Move! Mai, open the door!"

The shattered staircase would only block them for a few seconds, because the Living Corpses had already formed human ladders and climbed up. Some could even jump onto the second-floor hallway in just a few meters.

Hayasaka Ai no longer had time to care that Yuki had taken advantage of her. She simply moved her legs mechanically to follow him, watching the man level his sword and drag it across the railing, leaving a string of severed hands behind. Several shards of glass were embedded in his back, with blood streaming out.

He covered me just now?

No one gave her an answer. The instant they rushed into the hallway, a hand grabbed her shoulder again and yanked her fiercely inside.

Bang.

Yuki slammed the door shut, pressing both hands against it as he concentrated.

Trace On. Reinforcement.

A dim flash of light passed over the wooden door, instantly hardening it like steel. The next moment, drumlike thuds pounded against it.

"Looks like our guests aren't happy that we closed the door on them." Yuki lowered his hands. His joke carried a grim humor amid the violent pounding.

Mai Sakurajima rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. She had no energy to respond, only feeling as though her legs had been filled with lead, sore and swollen. Looking down, she saw that her stockings were covered in scratches.

"Are we safe? Should we treat the wounds?"

"Just superficial wounds. They're fine for now." Yuki rolled his shoulders, feeling his entire back go numb. He reached down and pulled Hayasaka Ai, who had collapsed onto the floor, to her feet. "There's no such thing as safety here. My Reinforcement Magecraft can only last two minutes, and don't forget how you found me."

The two buildings were connected in the first place, with plenty of passageways between them. It was only that the staircase Hayasaka Ai had originally taken had been blasted apart by the Licker.

"Right. Those monsters can form human ladders. They might even be able to find their way around."