I, a Reincarnation Stream Player

"Yeah. So far, they've all been ordinary rooms. We don't know how strong the Living Corpses are, but even an adult wouldn't be able to defend against them." Yuki answered without looking up.

He had just tested the wooden doors one by one. None had any protection from supernatural forces. Even if the Living Corpses were as weak as the ones in the Resident Evil series, the lowest-tier example he could think of, a few blows would be enough to break the doors apart.

"But we have two veteran players. What if we find a defensible location? If this is the third day, we only need to hold out for forty-eight hours at most."

"We haven't found a single bit of food or water so far. Li Dan and Thomas are definitely stronger than normal people, but they're no immortals. A lot of fighting will take a toll on them." Yuki's pen paused. He forced a smile.

"Did you notice? There was a wine cabinet in the main hall, but every bottle inside was empty."

Mai Sakurajima's swinging leg stopped. It was true: she hadn't found any sign of human life here. No food or water, not even a single piece of clothing. It was like an isolated island surrounded by Living Corpses, with nothing outside but Crimson Moonlight.

"So Li Dan went to the garden to look for food? Why didn't he just say so?"

Yuki looked up, his eyes full of admiration. For an ordinary person, making that connection was impressive.

"Because he seems like a good person, but there's no way an Infinite Genre Game would have any do-gooders. Any kindness has to come second to keeping yourself alive. And do you think it's a coincidence that the strongest-looking newbie got paired with him?"

"What does 'Infinite Genre Game' mean?"

"That's not important. Just think of it as something brutal, where people can kill each other."

Prompted by his words, Mai Sakurajima began to see the problem too. If she ranked the newbies by how useful they were, the Black man whose arms were thicker than her thighs was clearly the most valuable.

It was a baseless, malicious suspicion. But wasn't I looking at him the same way?

Mai Sakurajima felt she had no right to criticize Yuki. Then something else struck her. A moment ago, he'd seemed like a clueless idiot. How could he be so observant now, so sharp? Was he done pretending in front of me?

"You know who I am? Ah, no wonder you stared at me when you came in."

Yuki glanced at the long, black-stockinged legs beside him. A dainty black heel swung lightly, giving her a languid, alluring air.

Women really did affect the speed at which I drew my sword—no, the speed at which I thought. And black stockings were like a Black Hole, sucking people's souls right out of them.

After a short break, he decided to let them both relax. A strange smile crossed his face.

"Mai Sakurajima, you are famous, but that has nothing to do with why I noticed you."

"Then why?"

"Because you're dressed so provocatively. Anyone would look."

Yuki raised his head. There was little expression on his face beyond the faintest smile, but that coolly rational lust was enough to make Mai Sakurajima blush at once. Instinctively, she wrapped the sheer fabric around herself more tightly.

"You—I thought you were an honest man. You're a pervert too!"

A pervert? If I weren't in the middle of a strategy run, devoting most of my attention to this, I'd show you what a Male Black Sphere is.

He checked his watch. The break was over. As if an alarm had gone off, Yuki immediately looked away.

There was no lingering, and not a trace remained of the strange smile that had just appeared.

"Honest men generally don't live long, so—"

"I won't be an honest man."

Chapter 8: Rite of the Crimson Moon (Revised)

Yuki wasn't an honest man, of course, but he wasn't evil either. He had nothing in common with the antisocial or the sadistic.

The preparations he'd made over the years were meant to help him face danger. He still wanted to enjoy an ordinary, youthful life. If he changed his whole personality, wouldn't that defeat the purpose?

His fingers tapped lightly against his thigh, passing over the deep crimson glow as he listened carefully to the voices coming through the Walkie-talkie.

The other two groups hadn't found anything either. That garden defied common sense: it was in full bloom, yet they couldn't find a drop of water. No one dared try the strange fruit, either. Li Dan had decided to check the castle walls first.

Hayasaka, meanwhile, was wandering around the building, making a racket every now and then. No one knew what she was up to.

The unknown hung over everyone like moonlight. Even Yuki had relaxed a little, wondering how best to use his Reinforcement Magecraft. But he still didn't know what the danger was, so he could only hold back for now.

We've rested for twenty minutes. Time to keep going.

He glanced at his watch, then turned with a faintly amused smile. "Hey, are you still mad?"

Mai Sakurajima sat in a corner with her head propped on one hand, ignoring him. A faint "Hmph" escaped her.

They'd gotten a little more familiar with each other. A moment ago, Yuki had openly worn his heart on his sleeve—and managed to offend Bunny Girl Senpai.

"I was telling the truth. And the truth is the only way we can trust each other."

"Hmph. You didn't have to put it so harshly." Mai Sakurajima finally turned around. Her violet eyes were full of discontent.

Whether it was the dungeon's hint or his personal preference, Yuki wanted to team up with Mai Sakurajima. But there was no time to get to know each other slowly in a game, so he'd given himself a reason to trust her:

You're famous. If you backstab me and I happen to survive, finding you and getting revenge won't be difficult.

Good thing I quit acting several years ago, or this would be unplayable. Mai Sakurajima felt the disadvantage of being an idol all too keenly. According to Li Dan, they'd return to reality after clearing the dungeon. This guy and she were obviously close enough that his reason felt impossible to refute.

But it still made me feel safer than trusting him for no reason.

She was annoyed, but Mai had to admit his reason made sense. The same was true in reverse: with her connections, she could find him and take revenge too.

"Fine. We're all in the same boat, and you're still more reliable than the others." Mai Sakurajima came back, her eyes full of wariness. "But don't get any weird ideas about me."

"Given how you're dressed, that'll be difficult." Yuki teased her, then immediately changed his tune. "But I can try."

"That's more like it." The girl lowered her raised foot, recovering a little of her liveliness.

This beautiful girl had thorns, just like the short knife she always kept in her hand. As Mai put it, she couldn't kill anyone else, but she could kill herself. If she were covered in blood, no one else would be interested in her anyway.

That was fine.

In this dangerous game, he didn't need a girl who clung to him. He didn't expect her to be useful, just as long as she didn't hold him back.

After a brief rest, the two continued exploring the Ancient Castle. Beyond the Banquet Hall stood another building. It seemed to be where the guards or servants lived, and its decor was far less luxurious than that of the previous building.

The carpet was gone. Their leather shoes creaked against the floor, and the bricks in the walls were covered in tiny cracks. Red moonlight shone in through the gaps and windows. It seemed to seep in everywhere.

The Walkie-talkie crackled. Hayasaka's voice had gone silent, and Mai Sakurajima hurried over to Yuki, feeling a chill run down her spine.

"Should we go back? We're definitely not going to find food."

"I know." Yuki spotted a few plates in a cramped corner. There wasn't even a crumb on them. "You're not so hungry you can't walk, are you?"

Mai Sakurajima's face reddened slightly. She instinctively covered her flat stomach. She'd gone more than four hours without a drop of water, but that wasn't the problem. Once her taut nerves had relaxed, she'd suddenly become desperate for something to eat.

"No."

"Really?"

"Really! I just think it's foolish to waste so much energy."

Your stomach's already growling. It's the middle of the night. Dinner must have been ten hours ago.

Yuki was thirsty and hungry too, but he didn't call her out on it. He replied casually, "I'm not looking for food. I'm looking for somewhere the red moonlight can't reach. We might find something unexpected."

Huh?

Mai's mouth opened slightly. She saw the serious profile of his face and struggled to follow his train of thought.

Everyone else was looking for food and water, but this guy was looking for places the moonlight couldn't reach.

"Why? Would that help?"

"Not right now. But the game has a puzzle-solving element, and to solve puzzles, you need information. You can't let the game lead you around by the nose." Yuki pushed open a wooden door and found a staircase leading to the first floor. "Did you notice? It's almost four in the morning, but that red moon hasn't moved at all."

Come to think of it, it hadn't.

Mai Sakurajima looked out the window. The red moon hanging alone in the night sky really hadn't descended with the passage of time. But what did that mean? They couldn't even be sure they were on Earth.

"Let's go back. We're getting farther and farther away from Li Dan and the others."

"Don't rush. Let's find the basement first. A castle can't possibly be without one."

The girl rolled her eyes, a little frustrated. She'd underestimated Yuki's stubbornness. She glanced back at the shadowy corridor and hurried after him into the stairwell, only to slam into his back when he stopped abruptly.

"What are you doing now?"

"Shh."

Yuki turned and put a finger to his lips. His stern expression immediately silenced Mai Sakurajima. She stared at him, barely daring to breathe.

Their eyes met. They were almost pressed together, but there was no hint of romance between them. Both strained to listen, their muscles taut.

Is he deliberately taking advantage of me? Mai Sakurajima realized it was almost as if Yuki were holding her in his arms. She was about to pull away when she heard a strange sound.

Tap.

It could have been footsteps or a drop of water splashing against the floor. Beneath the Walkie-talkie's static came a sound like someone breathing through bellows. Almost at the same time, they both looked up.

Upstairs? Hayasaka's group?

Mai Sakurajima instinctively reached for the Walkie-talkie. Yuki glared at her, and she lowered her hand without thinking. She wasn't sure why, but after spending the past few hours with him, she'd gotten the impression that he knew what he was doing.

He wasn't a veteran player, but he definitely didn't seem like a clueless newbie either.

Had the Gift of the Crimson Moon arrived already?

Yuki hadn't forgotten Hint Four. He wasn't just exploring the basement; he wanted to find out what the "gift" was. At least with Mai Sakurajima, he didn't have to hold back.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The strange sound drew closer. Yuki kept turning his head, but couldn't see a thing. His view held only mottled walls and the Crimson Moonlight he'd grown used to.

A strange, eerie atmosphere was building. Maybe it was his imagination, but the crimson moonlight in the stairwell seemed to be growing thicker. Yuki didn't wait any longer. He grabbed Mai Sakurajima's slender wrist.

"Run!"

He turned and sprinted back toward the Banquet Hall, ignoring the girl's quickened breathing as he focused completely.

Something had changed in the dark corridor.

A dark shape fell through the ceiling in front of them. Red liquid spread across the floor. Yuki took a closer look, then heard a sharp scream behind him.

"It's that college student!"

It really was the White College Student. At least, those were his clothes. His handsome head, with its slightly delicate air, had been smashed into a rotten watermelon. His clothes were covered in red-and-white fluid.

Unlike Mai, Yuki didn't just stare at the gruesome scene. As he ran past the corpse, he examined it carefully. He saw a huge hole in its chest, along with the various organs that had been torn out.

It looked like a claw had done it. Was their attacker some kind of beast?

The scene was horrifying, but Yuki felt a little relieved. At least it wasn't a ghost or something like that. He hadn't had the means to prepare that kind of skill over the years.

He stepped through the pool of blood, feeling the slickness underfoot. Mai Sakurajima felt as if the stench of blood had a hand around her throat. This was nothing like the rookie guide, whose head had simply burst open.

The college student had been alive and well just a few hours ago. His gentlemanly manners had even left her with a good impression. But now his body lay in front of her like a broken doll.

How is Miss Hayasaka? Will I die like that too?

Fear crept into her heart, chilling her spine. It was like falling off a cliff. The feeling of the hand gripping her wrist suddenly became crystal clear.

Her fingertips twitched. Instinctively, she wanted to hold Yuki's hand, but soon even that last refuge vanished.

Yuki suddenly stopped, turned, and threw her away. He looked straight into her violet eyes, filled with shock and anger. The message in them was clear:

So you're not a good person after all!

He was obviously using her as bait to hold off some terrifying monster. But a moment later, Mai Sakurajima realized she was completely wrong.

Crack.

The wooden boards snapped, and web-like cracks spread beneath Yuki's feet. Then they shattered with a crash, and he plunged through to the first floor amid a shower of splinters.

Thud, thud, thud.

Yuki felt sharp pains all over his body, as if he'd struck several hard objects. But he didn't care about the pain.

He activated Reinforcement Magecraft.

He had no time to hesitate. This was his first time using a supernatural skill, and he was going to use it in a real fight!

Chapter 9: So This Is the Transcendental! (Revised)

[Ancient mages infused mana into the material world, forming rules...]

Skill explanation, skill history, instructions, practical experience.

Yuki felt as if he'd lived another life, learning Reinforcement Magecraft from a certain mage. He'd even bypassed the barrier of "aptitude."

Isn't this Shirou Emiya's signature technique in the Moon Cell?

His understanding was clearly different from that of an ordinary player. It wasn't just a flood of information; scenes he'd seen in the past flashed through his mind too.