Chapter 1: Kaguya-sama Wants Me to Surrender!

Tittle: Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

'Author: Otsuichi'

Volume 1

Chapter 1: Kaguya-sama Wants Me to Surrender

"...Natsuki-san, please surrender."

A cold, emotionless voice reached Amamiya's ears, like the icy winds of winter that chill both body and soul.

The speaker was a girl dressed in high-end, moon-white silk pajamas. Her long, silky black hair cascaded down to her waist. Her skin was smooth and fair, and her facial features were delicate and flawless.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was his classmate... Shinomiya Kaguya?

The new semester had just begun, and he'd been placed in the same class as the girl standing in front of him. However, they had never exchanged a word before. They were no more than ordinary classmates.

Natsuki Amamiya took a deep breath and looked down at his hands. In one hand, he held a black collar; in the other, a white leash. He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

He'd been about to take his dog for a walk, but after crouching to tie his shoelaces, he looked up only to find his Akita had turned into a girl in pajamas(Kaguya), she's like an ice sculpture. Too cold to approach.

Was this some strange way of repaying a favor?

All those walks weren't in vain after all, he thought, though he was puzzled. Still, how does asking someone to surrender count as repayment?

Amamiya raised his head and glanced around.

The familiar street had vanished, replaced by a strange room. Calling it a "room" was inaccurate—no one would build a space the size of a football field and call it that.

The walls had no doors or windows. Other than Amamiya and Shinomiya Kaguya, the room was empty—no people, no creatures, not even furniture. It was like a giant, hollow box.

Even stranger, despite the lack of any visible light source, the room was perfectly illuminated.

Such phenomena, which defied logic, made Amamiya wonder if he was dreaming.

"...Surrender," Kaguya's cold, melodious voice sounded again, like the soft clinking of pearls. She covered her chest with her hands, her expression utterly devoid of emotion.

"Sorry, I refuse," Amamiya responded automatically.

His first real conversation with his classmate was about surrender? Something wasn't right.

Kaguya's eyes, as calm as an undisturbed lake, showed no reaction. "I don't know how you managed to kidnap me here, but my bodyguards will find me soon. Your only way out is to turn yourself in."

Why was she looking at him as if he were a dead man walking?

It seemed like if he didn't surrender soon, he'd be sleeping with the fishes in Tokyo Bay.

"Shinomiya-san," Amamiya said, his tone serious, "You're misunderstanding something."

"…"

Kaguya didn't reply, but her gaze fell to the collar and leash in his hands.

"I was just about to take my dog for a walk," Amamiya explained, trying to stay calm. "Isn't it normal to have a collar and leash?"

Her eyes widened slightly at his words, and a frigid wave of cold air surged forth, even more intense than before.

"Wait!" Amamiya said quickly, "This really is a dog collar and leash! I didn't prepare it for you!"

The icy tension in the air intensified, threatening to freeze him solid.

Raising his hands in defeat, Amamiya sighed. "...Is it too late to surrender now?"

Kaguya didn't respond, but her eyes suddenly widened, and her pink lips parted slightly, revealing a row of pearly teeth. Her expression of shock was unexpectedly cute, contrasting with her previous icy demeanor.

Wait—why is she looking at me like that…no, behind me?

Amamiya's heart raced as he quickly turned around.

Oh no!

A massive snake!

At some point, a snake over ten meters long had appeared in the room. Its body was made of rings, and aside from its unusually large head, every part of it was the same length and thickness.

In the next instant, a strange voice echoed in their minds.

[Welcome to the Weird Game]

[Game Scenario: Snake Catcher's Talk]

[Clearance Conditions: 1. Capture the snake; 2. Survive for 30 minutes. You may leave the game upon achieving either condition.]

[Reward for Success: See the Reality of the World]

[Failure Penalty: Random]

[The game is about to begin. Enjoy.]

As the voice faded, the previously immobile anaconda began to stir. Without hesitation, it slithered directly toward Amamiya and Kaguya.

Amamiya took a deep breath and turned to Kaguya, whose face had turned pale. She had yet to recover from the shock. "What are you daydreaming about? Run!"

That jolted Kaguya back to her senses.

Even the "Ice-Cold Princess Kaguya" couldn't remain calm in the face of a giant, monstrous snake.

Fortunately, the snake didn't seem intent on pursuing them. After briefly slithering in their direction, it turned away and swallowed a ball of light before leisurely swimming off.

The room was dotted with numerous glowing orbs, each about the size of a football. There was one near the corner where they had retreated. Amamiya cautiously touched it, but his fingers passed right through it, as if it were made of air.

The two of them leaned against the wall, catching their breath. Amamiya glanced at Kaguya.

"Shinomiya-san, did you hear any strange voices earlier?"

"I did." Kaguya's pale face was still catching her breath, her chest heaving. Clearly terrified of the snake, her icy composure had melted into the demeanor of a frightened snowman. She tried to keep her voice steady. "It said, 'Welcome to the game'..."

So, they had both heard it.

"It looks like we're both players in this game," Amamiya deduced. "The goal of the 'Snake Catcher's Talk' must be to capture that giant snake."

The problem, though, was that this snake was enormous.

Catching an ordinary snake would be dangerous enough, but trying to catch a giant anaconda bare-handed?

That's just asking for trouble.

"This snake just appeared out of nowhere..."

Kaguya's voice trembled as she took another deep breath. While she could face human threats like robbers with composure, this was something far beyond her understanding.

"I was about to take my dog for a walk," Amamiya muttered. "I bent down to tie my shoelaces, and when I looked up, I was here… along with you."

Amamiya frowned, deep in thought. "We must have encountered some strange, scientifically inexplicable phenomenon."

The snake didn't seem like a normal creature from Earth, though an anaconda was the closest comparison.

But how was anyone supposed to catch a snake that size?

Amamiya surveyed his surroundings. He had a collar, a leash, and an ice sculpture of a girl… and after a moment of contemplation, he reached his conclusion.

It was impossible.

They were doomed.

The only hope of survival was to last the thirty minutes.

Just as Amamiya resigned himself to waiting, he suddenly felt a warmth in his eyes. A line of text appeared above the anaconda's head in his vision: