Chapter 209: Press F to enter Shikimori-san

"A shadow-form cat appears wherever there's light, actively targeting any player in its vicinity."

"It seems to possess a certain level of intelligence."

"It's untouchable."

"And immune to physical damage."

"The ventilation duct is too narrow for passage."

"The corridors are lined with lights, making them death traps…"

With this unsettling collection of details, the atmosphere among them grew tense and foreboding.

A classic deathtrap from the start.

They hadn't even managed to escape the abandoned warehouse, let alone find a way out of the factory.

"Isn't this game a little too difficult?" the spiky-haired boy muttered despairingly, clutching his head. "Forget clearing the game—we can't even get out of this starting room!"

Shikimori gripped her bamboo sword, silent and tense. If it had been a spirit or some kind of monster, she'd have steeled herself to swing the sword even in hopeless circumstances—but this was just a shadow. Swinging at it would be pointless.

The pigtailed girl clutched the book to her chest, her brow furrowed as she tried to think of a way out. But no matter how hard she thought, no solution presented itself.

In essence, they were trapped in a bright, exposed "escape room," and the players were the ones ensnared.

It wasn't until she noticed Amamiya and Kaguya's actions that the girl with pigtails felt a spark of curiosity.

"What are you doing?"

"Crafting Howl's Moving Castle," Amamiya replied casually as he picked up a discarded cardboard box from the corner.

"What on earth…?" the pigtailed girl muttered, exasperated. They couldn't even escape the starting room, and yet here he was, toying with cardboard boxes. His calm was unnerving.

"Shadow cats only appear in lit areas," Amamiya explained slowly. "So, why not create a dark space ourselves?"

"Huh?"

The pigtailed girl blinked in surprise. It took a moment for the idea to sink in, but when it did, her eyes lit up. "Wait—you mean, we could actually do that?"

"The meaning behind the colors…" Shikimori murmured, thoughtful.

"We could hide in the cardboard box," the girl with pigtails said eagerly. "Then, using the box as cover, we can make our way out."

Shikimori's eyes brightened. "That might just work."

"Those boxes look way too small," the spiky-haired boy pointed out, hesitating. "Barely big enough to fit a cat, let alone us."

"We can stitch several boxes together to make one big enough," the pigtailed girl replied quickly. "I got a blind box earlier that came with needles and thread—this is the perfect time to use them!"

"Well done, class monitor," Amamiya said with a grin. "You always come through at crucial moments."

"…Could you please stop calling me that?"

With the spark of a plan in place, everyone set to work quickly, heading to the corner to gather the scattered cardboard boxes and begin piecing together their makeshift shelter.

"They're just ordinary cardboard boxes, like food packaging," Amamiya remarked casually, looking around. "This abandoned factory seems to have been a food processing plant."

"How about cutting up all the boxes and putting them together to make one giant box?" Shikimori suggested.

"No." Kaguya shook her head in refusal. "We don't know what dangers might be waiting on our way out. If we're all hidden in the same box, a single accident could take us all down."

"..." 

Although she was right, Kaguya's bluntness made the mood considerably heavier.

"Sorry, but if we try to give everyone a box, we might run out of discarded ones here," the girl with pigtails said, adjusting her glasses.

Amamiya chimed in, "Hood Meow is totally confused. I'll need to stick close to her to make sure she doesn't get lost."

Kaguya looked over, annoyed.

Everyone busied themselves again.

Before long, they realized their worries were somewhat unnecessary.

Not all of the discarded boxes were usable. Some were too damaged or torn to work with.

After piecing together what they could, they were left with just one large cardboard box.

"It's here!" 

A deep voice suddenly proclaimed.

"Our escape route is right before us, but there's only one tool to help us get out. Unable to resist, a certain classmate named Yamazaki secretly drew a forty-meter sword from his pocket…"

The three girls turned their attention to the boy with spiky hair.

"Hey, stop narrating like that right behind me!" he shouted, taking two steps to the side. "And you even used my name!"

"Apologies."

Amamiya stepped out of the shadows and said, unfazed, "So, Yamazaki, the only thing you want to deny is your name?"

"...There's too much to deny at once!" the boy retorted, though his voice was tinged with guilt.

The truth was, the thought of seizing the box and making a solo escape had crossed his mind.

In the end, though, it was only a fleeting idea he hadn't acted on. Now, with Amamiya calling him out, it was out of the question.

"There's no need to argue," the girl with pigtails suggested, pushing her glasses up thoughtfully. "We can all get out if we work together. Remember that story about the little animals crossing the river from when we were kids?"

"We can carry the box through the corridor in pairs, then one of us returns to fetch the next person, and we repeat the cycle until we're all out."

Amamiya gave her a thumbs-up. "That's our class monitor for you."

The girl with pigtails gave him a sharp glare in return.

"That's a good idea," Shikimori nodded, showing her support.

The hedgehog-haired boy frowned. "So, who goes first, and who stays behind? Are we drawing lots for this?"

If he ended up last, he wasn't confident the others wouldn't leave him behind.

"It's simple." The girl with pigtails gave a slight smile, looking at Amamiya. "Let the 'Admiral' go first and 'Hood Meowth' stay at the end. After all, they're a couple."

"Couple…?" 

Seeing that Amamiya didn't deny it, the girl beside him blushed faintly, a hint of red appearing on the tips of her delicate, white ears.

After a brief discussion, the group unanimously agreed. As a couple, Amamiya and Kaguya wouldn't abandon each other, so one would go first, and the other would wait until the end.

Taking their physical differences into account, Amamiya took on the role of the "boatman," responsible for ferrying the box back and forth.

"All right." Amamiya nodded. "Let's test the 'moving castle' idea first."

"Let me go." Shikimori stepped forward.

The test went smoothly. Shikimori squatted inside the box to assess it. "It's dark inside, no light gets in, so we don't need to worry about the cat attacking."

After a pause, she added, "It's just too dark; I can't see anything clearly."

"You could add a small peephole," suggested the girl with glasses. "That way, you can observe the surroundings more easily."

"To be on the safe side, let's reinforce the box with a few extra layers of paper," she added.

"…"

Everyone contributed ideas and made adjustments.

"It's ready," Amamiya announced. "Now, onto the real test."

Shikimori took a deep breath. "Let me handle it."

One had to admit: this girl, with her pink bun, was indeed brave. When facing challenges, she stepped up instead of expecting others to act first. She had the poise and charisma of a leader.

Too bad the task at hand wasn't exactly glamorous.

"Are you ready?" Amamiya asked, standing by the door with his hand on the handle.

"Ready," Shikimori said firmly, then crawled forward under the box, moving like a cautious caterpillar.

"I'm opening the door."

With that, Amamiya opened the door, letting light spill in from the corridor.

"Whew…"

Shikimori took a steadying breath, crouched low, and carefully shuffled into the corridor, looking like a sneaky cardboard box monster inching its way forward.

And then… nothing happened.

"It worked."

Seeing this, the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Don't get too excited just yet," Amamiya advised. "Let's run a few more checks—going in and out at least seven times would be ideal."

"Walking while crouched is hard enough; doing it seven times is just cruel!"

"…"

With the test drill a success, it was time to take action.

"I'll go first," Shikimori offered confidently. "Who knows what dangers might lie ahead."

Amamiya looked at Kaguya. "I'll be back soon."

Kaguya nodded softly. "Be careful."

"…"

After a few brief words, they began.

"Are you taking the lead, or should I?" Amamiya asked Shikimori.

The cardboard box wasn't spacious enough to move side by side, so the best way was for one to lead, the other to follow.

"Hmm…" Shikimori pursed her lips, hesitating slightly before murmuring, "I'll take the lead, all right?"

Being naturally proactive, Shikimori felt an instinct to lead rather than simply follow.

"Fine by me." Amamiya nodded, allowing her to set the pace. "Let's go."

With help from the other three, Amamiya and Shikimori crouched down, lifted the cardboard box, and began their quiet journey forward.

The "cardboard monster" was on the move.

"When I say 'left' or 'right,' it'll mean your left foot or right foot," Shikimori whispered. "Stay in sync, and don't lose the rhythm."

"Understood," Amamiya replied with a slight nod.

"Then… here we go."

Under the watchful eyes of their teammates, Amamiya and Shikimori transformed into a two-person cardboard box creature and carefully crept down the corridor, inch by inch.

The corridor lights were bright, yet it remained dark beneath the box, and the ominous Shadow Cat didn't appear.

Soon, they saw a dimly lit section of the corridor ahead, where the lights didn't reach.

"We're halfway there…"

Estimating the remaining distance in her mind, Shikimori exhaled slightly in relief.

Though their pace was slow, they'd be out of the corridor soon enough—as long as nothing unexpected happened…

But in the next moment—

Thud!

The cardboard box jolted as if struck.

Amamiya, thrown off balance, accidentally stumbled forward, bumping into the fragrant, pink-haired girl in front of him.