Chapter 137 The fourth person.

The sound just now was like something hitting the ground hard, and it was definitely not an illusion.

Because after the initial sound that attracted everyone's attention, another sound rang out after a short pause, followed by a few seconds of silence, and then a "thump" sound like something hitting the ground came from under the bed... and so on in a loop.

It sounds a bit like...

The three people who were watching the movement under the bed exchanged glances without making a sound. Each of them was lost in thought and had a general idea of ​​what was going on under the bed.

As of now, no one seems to have any intention of bending down to check what's under the bed. Why is that...?

"Oh...it's out."

As Wang Ma Xiaoji stated the facts, the other two people in the room also saw something finally emerge from under the bed... and then, there was another "thump".

"It looks like it's going to be tough for them," Wang Ma Xiaoji said, unusually frankly. "Should we lend a hand?"

Hyuga Hajime remained silent. Tsukino and Chiya shook their heads slightly: "It's still uncertain whether it's friend or foe."

"Alright then." Wang Ma Xiaoji looked down at the thing that had popped out from under the bed. "But I can't bear to look at it struggling like this. It really looks like some kind of small animal struggling to survive. You know, I love small animals the most. There was a time when our team-building activities involved rescuing small animals, including but not limited to sneaking into people's homes to steal little creatures out for a couple of days and then returning them..."

Hajime Hyuga: "This isn't a rescue, is it?"

Tsukino and Chiya: "The master will cry."

Wangma Xiaoji: "Xiaoyinxiang and Xiaoyu are really kind. Since that's the case, I can't bear to make you worry... Don't worry, I was just kidding~ I'd never steal someone else's pet!"

Tsukino and Chiya: "Really? Um, I almost fell for it. In that case, that's great."

With Tsukino and Chiya's somewhat uninspired "That's great!" delivered in a monotone and uninspired manner, the "thing" under the bed finally revealed its full form.

Although the conversation just now sounded like a very ordinary joke, what Wang Ma Xiaoji said at the beginning, "It looks pretty difficult," was indeed true.

Initially, after a few sounds, what finally emerged from under the bed were a few strands of hair.

It was slightly wavy red hair, and although it was inevitably covered in dust from the ground, it didn't look messy.

Logically speaking, if there's someone hiding under the bed, with their hair already sticking out, they should have crawled out completely soon after, right? But after the three bystanders finished their seemingly nonchalant remarks, "that thing" under the bed finally emerged completely from under the bed and stood before them.

It was a head—just a head, but not a human head, since it didn't belong to a human.

This is the doll's head.

It's no wonder that a mere head trying to move out from under the bed was so slow and difficult. Fortunately, the doll didn't bleed or seem to feel pain, which prevented the scene from becoming anything more than eerie and bloody.

“Clang... Clang…”

After finally emerging from the dark space under the bed, the doll's head stopped moving. Tsukino, Chiya, and the other two kept their heads down, both wary and waiting, watching to see what the doll's head, which had suddenly moved and caused all the commotion, was going to do.

However, the doll, which was face down, only made some strange noises and did not make any other sounds for the time being.

"..." Tsukino and Chiya stepped forward, knowing there might be danger, but in order to perhaps get more information, they still chose to approach and squat down, officially coming to the front of that head.

The flashlight beam shone under the bed, where there was nothing but dust. To put it bluntly... the long hair from the doll's head did a good job of mopping, noticeably cleaning one area under the bed.

In short... is there only one doll head under the bed? However, even so... considering how ferocious those dolls were, Tsukino and Chiya still did not let their guard down regarding this last remaining head.

Despite their caution, Tsukino and Chiya continued working, gently turning the doll's head over. After confirming that the doll seemed to be making no other movement, they continued to tidy its hair, brushing aside the red hair that obscured its face, finally revealing the doll's true appearance.

Like Aurora, it had a face so exquisite it seemed almost lifelike. Although it was dirty and damaged, this in a way added a strange and unsettling beauty to the face... However, at this point, none of the three people present were in the mood to appreciate beautiful things.

“It’s definitely not Aurora’s face.” Ouma Kokichi examined the doll’s face, confirming that he had absolutely no recollection of it. “Appearing in this place at the Sakuraba residence… So, this is the doll that Detective Ayatsuji mentioned, the one sealed away in the Sakuraba residence?”

"That's my assessment," Hyuga Hajime said, "but I can't be completely certain yet."

The most likely candidate for a doll appearing in this situation is the one Ayatsuji Yukito mentioned. However… there are always exceptions, and even Hyuga Hajime couldn't be 100% certain, could he?

“Clang... Clang…”

A doll is, after all, just a doll. Its lips didn't move, yet it kept emitting faint, eerie sounds. Tsukino and Chiya realized it was trying to say something, but couldn't for some reason. Ultimately, although it only had one head, a doll wasn't meant to speak using human vocal organs…

"Can you blink?" Tsukino and Chiya, who were closest to the doll, asked. He chose a simple but practical method: "Let's talk. One blink means 'yes,' and two blinks mean 'no.'"

As for whether it's true or false, the three of them will naturally judge for themselves.

The doll blinked slowly once.

It seems that communication is indeed possible.

"Are you a doll sealed away in the Sakuraba family?"

It blinked once.

"The shrine's original head priest has passed away?"

It blinked once.

"Is that the shrine in that wooden barrel over there?"

It blinked once.

"Have you seen Aurora..." Tsukino and Chiya paused, then briefly described Aurora's appearance, "Have you ever seen a doll that looks like this?"

It blinked once.

On one side, Tsukino and Chiya were communicating with the doll's head, while on the other side, Hinata Hajime had already lifted the wooden barrel.

The scene inside was somewhat unexpected, but only "somewhat" unexpected. It didn't contain the horrifying, rotting corpses one might imagine, but rather a human skeleton.

In terms of how horrifying they look, skeletons are slightly better than rotting corpses, but not by much.

And just after Hyuga Hajime lifted the lid of the barrel, the nauseating stench that had been emanating from the barrel and permeating the entire underground space suddenly disappeared.

"Huh?" Wang Ma Xiaoji took off his mask. "My nose suddenly got better?"

He glanced at Hyuga Hajime, who had also removed his mask, and then changed his tune: "Our noses were healed together? A miracle worker!"

This situation is certainly not normal, but they have encountered so many abnormal things that the sudden disappearance of the smell seems to make it seem like a normal little thing in comparison.

Tsukino and Chiya naturally noticed the strangeness, but he ignored it and just stared at the doll, continuing to ask him questions.

Is this reality?

Finally, the doll blinked twice.

"..." Tsukino and Chiya seemed to be deep in thought, but before he could ask any further questions, a fourth person's voice suddenly came from the small space.

"You're all here."

The voice was gentle and familiar, seemingly without the slightest malice, yet it still startled Tsukino and Chiya... Before the voice appeared, they hadn't noticed when another person had appeared without their knowledge. No, perhaps this person had simply appeared out of thin air?

Tsukino and Chiya quickly turned their heads and, like the others, looked towards the source of the sound.

The person who spoke seemed oblivious to the unusual atmosphere and continued speaking gently.

"If I remember correctly, it's still class time... right?"