Chapter 7: Kaguya Sandwich Cookies

[You used the ultimate ninjutsu: Thousand Years of Death]

[The opponent has been defeated]

It turns out that neither humans nor vengeful spirits can withstand the impact of the Thousand Years of Death.

The vengeful spirit ambushed by Amemiya trembled violently before a flash of black lightning split the air, causing the spirit to explode. Its form dissolved into ash and slowly scattered away.

"Thank you, Amemiya-san."

Chika, now able to speak despite being unable to move her body, sighed in relief and gratefully thanked him.

Amamiya gave a silent nod in response, his attention still fixed on the giant robotic ghost.

After a few moments, the robotic ghost slowly turned its back again, and the eerie underworld tune resumed, signaling that the game was still ongoing.

Amamiya straightened up and cast a glance at Kaguya, who stood composed beside him. Though her outward appearance remained calm, he noticed a subtle expression of fear flickering behind her usual icy demeanor, a stark contrast to her cool facade.

Lowering his voice, Amemiya leaned closer to whisper to her, "Shinomiya-san, just a moment."

"Hmm?"

Kaguya turned her head slightly to look at him, her expression calm, not even a tremor in her eyelashes. Other students might think she truly lived up to her title as "Ice Queen Kaguya," but Amemiya could see right through that stoic mask.

Without wasting time, he took a few steps closer, moving near to Kaguya's cheek and softly said, "I need to tell you something."

Kaguya instinctively started to pull away, but she paused, keeping her composure when she realized he had something important to say.

"Whenever I stop, make sure you stop as well. Don't let greed or impulsiveness get the better of you." He continued quietly, "Tell Fujiwara-san this too."

After all, they were classmates. Amemiya wasn't going to sit back and watch them get eliminated if he could help.

Feeling the warmth of his breath on her ear, Kaguya, who had never been this close to a boy before, fought the instinct to retreat. The composure she had honed over the years kept her steady, and her tone was cool as she replied, "I understand."

Amemiya nodded, then moved away from the "Ice Queen" with some relief. Glancing up, he noticed the once-clear words floating above her head, "so scared," had now changed to "too close, too close, too close..."

Her face may have been a mask of calm, but her thoughts were clearly in turmoil!

The game carried on.

Just as Amemiya thought they might pass this stage of the game without much trouble, a vengeful female spirit locked its gaze on him.

She was wearing a sailor uniform stained with dark, dried blood, her waist-length hair a matted mess, its texture like dead grass—brittle and lifeless.

Amamiya's heart skipped a beat as he quickly glanced at Chika and began counting down. 

"Three, two, one..."

"Got it!"

At the exact moment the countdown ended, Chika swiftly dropped to one knee behind the female spirit, mimicking Amemiya's earlier maneuver.

"You should play by the rules. Bullying is wrong," she said with a serious expression, her hands forming seals like a true ninja.

"I'm sorry for this!"

And with that, the female ghost crumbled into ash, dissipating into the air.

Amemiya couldn't help but admire her. "Well done."

He had assumed Chika would fumble through the task, but she had acted with surprising precision and decisiveness.

"Thank you!" she beamed. "Now we're even. I've mastered the Thousand Years of Death. Kaguya and I even practiced it before..."

Amemiya turned to Kaguya with a look of disbelief. "You two 'practiced' it?"

He couldn't even begin to imagine who between them took the lead and who followed!

"I didn't!" Kaguya quickly denied, biting her lower lip in embarrassment.

"Amemiya-san, don't misunderstand." Chika explained cheerfully, "Kaguya-chan and I read 'Naruto' together."

"It's such a shame. It was such a hilarious moment, but Kaguya didn't laugh at all..." Then Chika's voice suddenly shifted, filled with concern. "Wait, Kaguya, are you okay?"

Amemiya turned to see Kaguya's lips slightly parted, a faint expression of discomfort on her otherwise calm face.

"A-a-ahhh!"

Kaguya's brow furrowed in distress. "My nose... it's starting to tickle..."

A sneeze. In a game like this, sneezing—an action involving multiple muscles—could be disastrous.

"Amemiya-san!" Chika called out urgently.

Amemiya quickly started to count down again: "Three—"

"I've got it!" Chika exclaimed as a sudden idea popped into her head. She immediately wrapped her arms around Kaguya from behind, pulling her into a tight embrace as they both crouched down behind Amemiya for cover.

"Kaguya-chan sandwich cookies!" she declared triumphantly.