Chapter 74 "I'm going in with Tsukino Kazuki..."

It was quite sudden.

Although Wang Ma Xiaoji was mentally prepared that nothing was strange about what he might encounter in the spirit world, he still couldn't help but feel that he was really unlucky today after actually experiencing it.

What a hassle... It's true that wishful thinking is a bad idea. But even knowing this, people always unconsciously hope that things will go the way they want.

However, I don't have the time to complain about these things now.

Before the sound of the chainsaw even approached, but only came from somewhere, and the flashlight beam illuminated only the faint outline of a figure deep in the corridor—

Wang Ma Xiaoji had already started running.

If Tsukino and Chiya were still around, Ohma Kokichi might have considered staying put and waiting for the monster to get closer so he could get a good look at it. After all, if the monster attacked, Tsukino and Chiya could fight it back!

But now... I'm outta here!

Wang Ma Xiaoji isn't entirely without fighting ability; in fact, he's quite skilled in combat. However, while he does carry some tools he could use in battle, the "person" behind him has a chainsaw!

Would he fight with a dagger and a chainsaw? That would be suicidal.

Wang Ma Xiaoji knew very well that in such a haunted place, some courage and boldness to face fear were necessary to find useful clues and solve the case. But courage was not recklessness; he still wanted to live. He had been given another chance to live… and he didn't want to die in such a place without knowing why!

After stepping onto the stairs at the bottom of the first floor, he was teleported to a place that seemed to be in the middle of the corridor on the second floor.

At that moment, the sound Wang Ma Xiaoji heard was coming from the right corridor. Realizing what was happening, the purple-haired boy immediately ran to the left, tentatively pushing each classroom door he passed – there was no time to unlock them now, he could only check if the doors were locked; if not… perhaps he could go in and hide.

However, I don't know if I should say it's a pity... at least the doors of the classrooms that Wangma Xiaoji passed by were all locked.

The sound of chainsaws behind me continued, neither too close nor too far.

Before arriving here, Wang Ma Xiaoji was certainly not unprepared; he had already heard about the details of the strange tales surrounding the old school buildings in the North District from Tsukino and Chiya.

The sound of a chainsaw chasing after you like a shadow...

It's practically the same situation I'm facing right now.

Wang Ma Xiaoji knew very well that, according to that campus ghost story, no matter how fast he ran, he wouldn't be able to truly shake off the sound of the chainsaw behind him. Then, after he was finally exhausted... he would face death.

Even so, choosing to simply give up and wait for death is definitely not Wangma Xiaoji's style. Although Wangma Xiaoji knows that simply running away won't achieve much.

But no matter what, if you want to change the situation, you have to survive first.

Wang Ma Xiaoji arrived at the top of the stairs.

Should we run uphill or downhill?

The thought flashed through his mind for only a moment, and the next instant, Wang Ma Xiaoji had already stepped onto the stairs leading down to the first floor, descending the stairs very quickly.

The primary objective now is to escape the strange pursuers behind me, whom I am almost certain I cannot defeat, in the narrow space of the corridor.

In that case, hiding in a classroom might be a good option. However, the classrooms I've passed by are all currently locked. In that case, perhaps I could try going out through the main entrance on the first floor of the school building.

After all… judging from the information on the few people who have had incidents so far, the area outside the school building is safe. Those strange beings seem to be strictly adhering to the rule that they cannot leave the old school building.

But is it really safe to escape to the first floor?

Wang Ma Xiaoji knew very well that if he ran down to the first floor and found that the door was locked like it was in the mansion where the ghost painter used to appear, he would be trapped in a dead end with nowhere to escape.

However, compared to the upper floors where I have absolutely no idea what the situation is, it's better to go to the first floor. Besides... if it really comes to that, there's still a chance of survival.

That thing... I couldn't see its face clearly, but its weapon was a chainsaw, right?

That way, even if the main door on the first floor is locked, it won't matter. If the time is right, we might be able to use the force of the monster's chainsaw strike to break open the door.

However, in reality, plans can never keep up with changes.

The location of the spirit barrier, where little intelligence had yet been gathered, was unfamiliar to Wang Ma Xiaoji, and unexpected things were constantly happening to him—

Just as he stepped down the last step and landed on the first floor... a familiar feeling arose.

Wang Ma Xiaoji: "...Ah." Not again?

The next second, the purple-haired boy disappeared at the bottom of the stairs on the first floor.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Ma Xiaoji returned to the middle of the second-floor corridor.

On the right side of the corridor... he could still hear the chainsaw sound coming from there, now clearer.

Oh, this is troublesome.

Wang Ma Xiaoji thought calmly.

It now seems most likely that I'm trapped on the second floor. And on this floor, not only are the classrooms locked, leaving nowhere to hide, but there's also a non-human wielding a chainsaw as a weapon wandering around.

Suddenly, I felt like there was no hope of escaping.

However, since we only went down to the first floor before, it's too early to say there's no way out. Let's try to go upstairs this time.

Just as Ouma Kokichi was about to run back to the stairs and go upstairs because of this thought—

As he passed by, the door to a classroom suddenly opened, and a hand reached out and precisely grabbed Wang Ma Xiaoji's arm.

Wang Ma Xiaoji was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked towards the classroom door.

The next second, after recognizing the owner of the hand, he relaxed and let himself be pulled into the classroom.

*******

“…As you can see,” Tsukino and Chiya said, “this is what is called a ‘paranormal event’.”

Sometimes, seeing is more intuitive and clear than a simple explanation.

Especially when it comes to some unscientific developments, verbal explanations are unlikely to be convincing, while witnessing paranormal events firsthand is much more persuasive.

“Ah, is that really so?” Komaeda Nagito looked around at his surroundings.

Not long ago, when faced with Komaeda Nagito's question, Tsukino and Chiya thought for a moment and finally left him with the words "Come with me," and then led him back to the staircase closest to the door.

Unlike the staircase that Tsukino, Chiya, and Ohma Kokichi had been preparing to climb at the other end of the corridor, this staircase was located in a visible place not far from the door.

So, before Tsukino and Chiya could say anything, a supernatural phenomenon that suddenly appeared after they stepped onto the steps saved Chiya a lot of time explaining.

That's right.

The same situation happened again just now.

They had only stepped onto one step, but the next second, Tsukino, Chiya, and Komaeda Nagito were back at the school gate.

Is it something to be thankful for? This time, the two of them didn't separate again... Although for Tsukino and Chiya, it was best that they didn't separate from Ohma Kokichi.

"Haha, even for me, this is the first time I've encountered something like this." Komaeda Nagito, after looking around and confirming he'd been teleported on the spot, spoke with a hint of curiosity, "I see..."

The more Tsukino and Chiya talked with Komaeda Nagito, the more they sensed something subtle and unusual about him.

Komaeda Nagito... He appears to be a kind and harmless person. Coupled with his amazing talent, it's impossible not to want to get close to him and become acquainted with him.

However, after truly communicating with him, Tsukino and Chiya could sense that Komaeda Nagito's attitude towards them was not enthusiastic. In fact, the reason he was able to maintain normal communication like this was because he needed to obtain some necessary information from Tsukino and Chiya.

...Of course, logically speaking, it's quite normal for Komaeda Nagito to maintain a certain distance in his interactions with strangers he's just met, rather than being very warm towards them.

Furthermore, Tsukino and Chiya themselves did not believe that they were outstanding enough to warrant that strangers would treat them with enthusiasm, nor did they have the narcissistic feeling that "everyone will definitely like me".

He merely sensed from Komaeda Nagito's words a different kind of fervor that the other party wasn't trying to hide with much effort, and because of that fervor, he made some guesses.

"So it turned out to be a paranormal event? For someone like me, this is still a completely unfamiliar area."

This person wasn't afraid at all.

In fact... after personally experiencing the supernatural, he became visibly more excited.

Tsukino and Chiya judged that if Komaeda Nagito wanted to conceal his true nature, he could easily disguise himself as harmless. However, he didn't do so... perhaps he felt it was unnecessary, or perhaps he was simply too lazy to hide anything from Tsukino and Chiya.

“It’s a little different from what I initially imagined, but it’s not a big problem.” Komaeda Nagito said casually, but his words were chilling. “When I confirmed that the gate was locked, I thought I had been caught up in some situation where I would have to fight each other with the people in the old school building.”

Tsukino and Chiya: "...Is that so?" What kind of thought process leads to such an imagination?

"Oh, right, don't misunderstand."

As if suddenly remembering something, Komaeda Nagito belatedly added.

"I have no interest in fighting each other with Tsukino Kazuki."

Tsukino and Chiya, having grasped the unspoken meaning, were speechless.

So you're interested in playing a game of mutual destruction with others? With whom? Ouma Kokichi?

I suddenly feel a little annoyed.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Komaeda: Oh, it was a supernatural event. I thought it was some kind of infighting.

Komaeda: I'm not interested in playing a game of mutual destruction with Tsukino Kazuki; I'm more interested in playing a game of mutual destruction with hopeful undergraduates. Yeah, hope!

Other members of the second generation: Don't come any closer!