Something has entered this mansion.
Though no abnormalities were visible yet, Takakai instinctively sensed it.
He reached out, covering Kaguya's slightly parted lips.
By the flickering lightning outside the window, he signaled for silence, then carefully moved to the edge of the room, listening for movement in the hallway.
The two were currently in a seldom-used side parlor on the second floor—a place rarely visited by servants, let alone guests. Dust would accumulate within days without regular cleaning. They'd chosen this location precisely because they weren't sure how the "ticket" might react, and figured any damage here would be inconsequential.
But before they could even test the ticket's activation effects, something else had arrived.
Gripping his pistol, Takakai frowned, pressing against the door as he strained to hear.
Tap—
A faint footstep, nearly drowned out by the rain.
Without enhanced perception, he'd have missed it entirely.
Tap—
A second step.
Identical in volume and rhythm, moving straight toward their position.
Tap—
A third.
No variation. Machine-like precision.
Not human.
The conclusion came instantly.
Human footsteps couldn't be this unnaturally consistent. Moreover, nearly thirty seconds had passed since the blackout—servants should've arrived by now. Yet aside from those methodical steps, the mansion felt eerily still.
Either the intruder had already disposed of everyone except him and Kaguya, or its influence had altered the environment, masking all other activity.
Regardless, hostility was certain.
So Takakai pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
The gunshot rang sharply through the dark.
No muzzle flash. No visible projectile. But guided by his perception of the footsteps, fifteen bullets materialized midair in the hallway, converging on the source from all angles.
Though these were just normal rounds from the infinite ammo mode, testing had proven they could still repel or suppress physical entities. Enough for reconnaissance.
As for whether it might be human? Unlikely. His senses weren't easily fooled. And with the fourth step, another blessing activated—
Do not open the door.
Do not face it. Do not look.
To see it is to die.
Hirano Sousuke's third blessing carved out a clear safe zone: any space separated from that thing by barriers.
Crash—
Glass shattered in the hallway as bullets struck walls, cabinets, and fixtures.
The fifth step reached the parlor door.
No hits.
The bullets had found no target. Whatever was out there... lacked true physical form.
Bang!
Takakai fired again without pause.
This time, using one of his ten special rounds—the kind that sealed supernatural phenomena and required 24 hours to replenish.
A flash of eerie light burst forth as Kaguya's eyes widened. Something indescribable seemed to ride that bullet, howling toward its mark.
Bzzt—
Lights flickered back on.
Rain still lashed the windows, but the footsteps had vanished without a trace.
After a tense silence, Takakai turned the doorknob.
The hallway lay empty, but bullet holes pockmarked the walls, and debris littered the floor—proof it hadn't been imagination.
"What... was that?" Kaguya whispered, peering out cautiously.
"Ticket delivery. Just... unconventional methods."
Takakai's gaze fell on a newly appeared object—a sheet of paper resembling an invitation, aged yet meticulously crafted.
Picking it up (after confirming it wouldn't bite), he found it was a military transfer order in German, assigning some officer to Bythos Camp.
Like the doodle Kaguya retrieved, this document radiated supernatural energy—but stabilized, made usable.
Another ticket.
Though he'd anticipated this, having it delivered so directly left him unsettled.
Undoubtedly, the KP had orchestrated this. And among all players, Takakai suspected he alone had truly encountered these entities lurking behind dungeons—forces beyond mere horrors, pulling strings to shape tragedies.
Why? What's their relationship with the Sacrifice Game? What's their endgame after decades of manipulation? And my black watch... is it connected?
Questions weighed heavily.
He knew his current strength—enough to breach Crimson moon dungeons—was still pitiful against such beings.
Yet if they were so powerful, why rely on subterfuge? Shirakawa's KP misled Sanchez. Nutty Putty Cave's deceived Foreln. Fujisaki's manipulated Alice. They used words, not brute force, to steer events—containing catastrophes into "manageable" dungeons.
In a twisted way, their interference had limited the damage. But to what end?
Takakai had theories, but without evidence, they remained just that.
Enough. A fledgling cultivator shouldn't fret over celestial conflicts. Focus on the immediate.
"Don't worry about it. For now... we should be clear. Let's proceed."
Stowing the document in his watch, he turned to Kaguya—
Only for a servant to rush in moments later, bowing hastily despite the hallway's state.
"Young mistress, the young ladies from the Shinomiya and Fujiwara families have arrived."