Chapter 62. Emerging from the Well.

Two skull fragments were pulled out of the well by Wang Ma Xiaoji.

One is a cat's skull, and the other is Nobunaga.

The other is a human skull, belonging to Yu Chishima.

At the time, Ouma Kokichi found two skulls in the well... and only skulls. Logically speaking, if someone had fallen into the well, there should have been more than just two heads found in the well. But... well, anything that doesn't make sense can be explained away as "it's a paranormal event, after all."

After all, no one can know for sure what the future holds. Perhaps in the future where Yu Chishima passed away, both the cat and the human were retrieved long ago and did not remain in the well as skeletons.

After obtaining the cat's skull, Tsukino and Chiya were able to control what was in their field of vision.

It has to be said that this situation is actually quite convenient for him now. Apart from having to carry it with him at all times, this mode of movement has virtually no other drawbacks—not only are there no annoying hallucinations, but his night vision is also much better than before.

After picking up the cat skull, Tsukino and Chiya considered for a second or two, then picked up Chishima Yu's skull as well, preparing to put it in their backpacks: "The skull of the monster's predecessor... might come in handy." Even if they don't need it later, there won't be any problem carrying it now.

In short, it's all just in case.

"So, what does Kozuki Kazuha plan to do next?"

Wangma Xiaoji, with the towel draped over his head, watched Tsukino and Chiya's actions.

Wang Ma Xiaoji had to admit that the black-haired boy's movements were very smooth, and there was no sign of anything unusual about his eyes... And now that he could manually control his vision through his skull, there was even less to see.

"You said before that, judging from the illusions, our real death date should be tomorrow, right? Hmm... or more accurately, the day after tomorrow at dawn. That means retreating now isn't a problem, is it? Besides, we're in the courtyard now, making it even easier to run away!"

As if suddenly remembering something, Wang Ma Xiaoji's tone became cheerful, with a hint of mischievous laughter.

"Oh, right, there's one thing to be careful about. That is—if the police keep an eye on you again, you should be careful that Kozuki, who's suspected of being a psychopathic killer and carries two skulls with him, doesn't end up being called in for questioning, okay?"

Tsukino and Chiya thought for a moment: "If that's the case, then you, who are acting with me, won't escape either, right? Or is it that because you're the mastermind of evil, you don't have to worry about being invited for tea?"

"Bingo~! Kazuma knows me so well. As long as I use the power of my organization, that little cop won't do anything to me!"

"Oh, I see. Well, that sounds complicated."

"Hehe, it's not impossible to solve this if you want, okay? As long as Tsukino and Promise run naked around Hope's Peak three times after they go back, I can help out if the police find out."

"If I think about it... then I feel it would be better to have tea with the police."

Tsukino and Chiya believed that Ohma Kokichi had his own ideas about what to do next after the two of them successfully reunited, but since he asked, Chiya shared her opinion first.

"Furthermore, I don't plan to go back immediately. So if I'm lucky, I shouldn't get called in by the police because of the skull."

"Eh—that sounds really meaningful~" Wangma Xiaoji drawled.

Whether or not you'll encounter the police is a matter of probability and luck, but since Tsukino and Chiya brought it up separately, it definitely means...

"Kozuki and I want to resolve this today," said Ohma Kokichi with a confident tone. "That way, the two skulls might come in handy when we face the ghost of Sarayashiki, and we won't be carrying the skulls with us when we leave."

"—But is this really a good idea?"

Upon hearing this, Tsukino and Chiya turned around and adopted an attentive expression.

He heard Wang Ma Xiaoji continue, "Because we haven't even finished exploring the second floor yet, right? That means we haven't actually collected enough clues and chips."

"So, we have to go back to the second floor? But after that ghost said 'Hide well?' based on yesterday's situation, it's very likely that it's currently playing hide-and-seek in the house. If we go back now, there's a high chance we'll run into it directly."

At this point, Wang Ma Xiaoji turned his head and glanced at the location of the house not far away.

"If you and Kozuki were to point the cat skull at the house right now, you would see the broken window. Does that sound familiar? That's one of the reasons I suspect the ghost of Sarayashiki is playing hide-and-seek inside."

If they leave now and choose to come back tomorrow, the counting sound coming from the well should reset, giving them enough time to act while the strange creature lurks in the well and to investigate the remaining rooms.

"Therefore, choosing to return to the house now to continue exploring is very dangerous, and if we're unlucky, we might just run into that guy as soon as we go in. However..."

Wang Ma Xiaoji paused slightly as he habitually observed Yueye and Qianye's expressions while speaking, just as he had done to many other people.

Then, upon seeing that face, which unsurprisingly remained unchanged in expression, besides "Ah, I knew it," and "Ozukino and that deadpan face are so boring," another thought popped into Ouma Kokichi's mind...

—Could it be that the person in front of me deliberately maintained the same expression and tone from beginning to end just to prevent others from seeing or hearing anything from their expression or tone?

...But is it really possible for someone to go to such lengths? If so, what kind of dire circumstances must he have lived in to develop such a habit?

The thought that there was actually no concrete evidence flashed through Wang Ma Xiaoji's mind, but it did not prevent him from smoothly saying what followed: "...However, if you could directly encounter the ghost of Sarayashiki, perhaps that would suit your purposes?"

“That’s right.” Tsukino and Chiya nodded in agreement.

Indeed, it's not time to die yet, and there's no urgent need to immediately resolve the anomaly. Besides, they still have several rooms on the second floor to explore, and the clues they've gathered so far might not be complete.

Therefore, logically speaking, now is not the best time to directly confront the ghost of Sarayashiki.

However, there is one thing that they can never get back once they miss it today.

“Once midnight passes, it’s like going from today to tomorrow,” Tsukino and Chiya said. “Based on our strange and straightforward way of thinking, even if it’s just one minute longer, even if it’s still nighttime, the next day is the next day.”

“And the next day…” Wang Ma Xiaoji smiled and continued, “it was no longer Chishima Yu’s birthday.”

Tsukino and Chiya nodded.

It's not far from midnight now.

A birthday is such a special day, a day that a child who has lived in love should look forward to every year... If we try to resolve the matter on such a day, perhaps there will be some special positive effects.

What's more, they currently possess a birthday gift from Sakura, a friend of Yu Chishima, to Yu. That gift was even a sculpture of the white cat from Yu Chishima's home.

Wouldn't it be a shame not to use such a prop that so blatantly proclaims "I'm very useful" today?

“That makes a lot of sense…” Wang Ma Xiaoji tossed the towel aside. “Okay! Shall we go back inside now?”

"No." Tsukino and Chiya caught the towel that was tossed to them with precision. "We don't need it."

He didn't explain why, because it was no longer necessary.

Wang Ma Xiaoji turned his head and looked at the direction of the well behind him with Qianye.

Something stirred the water, followed by the sound of fingernails scraping against the well wall. It was piercing, eerie, and grew clearer and closer—

Wang Ma Xiaoji: "They're almost here. But actually, if we choose to rush out the door and escape the courtyard now, maybe it's still not too late?"

Tsukino and Chiya: "Whether we stay now or leave and continue the investigation tomorrow, there are advantages and disadvantages. There are too many uncertainties surrounding the supernatural events, and none of us can be sure which option is the best one."

“That’s right, that’s right.” Wangma Xiaoji nodded repeatedly while keeping an eye on the well. “That’s why—I also plan to stay here!”

The sound of rushing water broke the silence of the night. As the two people talked without any tension, just as seen in the previous video, a hand reached out from the well and touched the edge of the well opening.

Amidst the sound of water, Tsukino and Chiya's voices remained calm: "Speaking of which, Ohma, didn't you notice that it was still there when you were in the well?"

Wang Ma Xiaoji exclaimed, "You know I was in the well not long ago, yet you still say this on purpose. Is this retaliation?" Because he mentioned Sadako before watching the videotape?

Tsukino and Chiya: "Um, no." That's right, it's a matter of reciprocity.

As the words fell, the strange upper body had already detached from the well opening.

Then, his entire body emerged. After leaving the well, the strange creature fell heavily onto the weeds.

Unlike the blurry, poor-quality footage shown in the video.

This time, both of them clearly noticed the full appearance of the Sarayashiki ghost.