Chapter 71

"Hehe, it really works."

The pink-haired girl tilted her chin up slightly, turning to give Natsuki a smug look that said "Hurry up and praise me."

As they say, villains get caught because they talk too much. When you encounter an evil spirit, what do you do? Arrest it, of course! We'll show no mercy in cracking down on troublemakers.

Natsuki was eyeing the outlaw in front of him, about to make a move, when he spotted something slowly emerging from the darkness.

"Seems our guests aren't satisfied with our hospitality." The puppet clown bowed his head, checking himself. "Guess we'll have to provide some... compulsory service."

In an instant, two tall, skinny monsters in hats and tattered cloaks stepped out of the shadows. Messy straw poked out from under their ragged clothes.

"Are those... scarecrows?"

"Hey, what's with these other vengeful spirits?" Chika panicked immediately. "Natsuki, what do we do?"

The scarecrow guards shuffled awkwardly in front of the clown. Dry straw began sprouting from under their cloaks, spreading rapidly across the floor like tree roots and sweeping towards everyone.

"Don't lose your cool when things get rough," Natsuki said calmly, glancing at the others. "Anyone here able to handle those scarecrows?"

"No way," everyone shook their heads.

"Those are vengeful spirits. How's a regular person supposed to deal with that?"

A female player couldn't help but accuse, "The spirits in the game don't usually attack right away. You must've ticked off that clown."

"Exactly," someone else chimed in. "Should've just listened to the clown. This is all your fault."

Faced with danger, their shaky alliance crumbled instantly.

Natsuki didn't have time to catch the clown - his focus was on Chika now.

"Sorry..." Chika bit her lip, looking upset.

Kaguya frowned slightly. Chika could criticize herself, but others badmouthing her was off-limits.

"Chika didn't do anything wrong," Rikka said quickly. "Don't talk like that."

"I've got a plan," Natsuki suddenly announced.

"What is it?" Everyone looked over eagerly.

"Simple. This scene's turned into a game of hide-and-seek." Natsuki started moving, secretly winking at Kaguya. He grabbed Chika's hand, spun around and took off running. "I'll go first out of respect!"

"Huh? Wait, what?"

When Natsuki grabbed her hand, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but run after him. "Are we really running away?"

What else could they do? If everyone else was cannon fodder, it was time to show them what it meant to ditch the slowpokes.

Unfortunately, Natsuki's ability to take down troublemakers was a single-target skill - useless in team fights. He was like a mid-lane mage with no defenses. Great for picking off lone enemies, but add just one more and he'd be toast!

When they locked eyes earlier, Kaguya understood Natsuki's meaning and followed without hesitation.

The other players stood stunned for two seconds before bolting wordlessly.

With just two scarecrow guards in this massive castle, as long as you're lucky, the odds of getting caught aren't too high.

"Looks like the game's changed," Natsuki muttered. "It's every man for himself now."

He pulled Chika up to the second floor. As they rounded a corner, they skidded to a halt.

In the eerie dim light, a massive insect the size of a washbasin reared up. It let out a horrifying hiss.

"A facehugger?!" Chika yelped.

Natsuki squinted in the low light. This thing was way too big to be a facehugger. And why would it be in a medieval castle? It looked more like... a giant crab?

"Holy crap!" "What is that thing?!"

The other players who'd been chased upstairs recoiled in shock. Without a word, they bolted in the opposite direction, deeper into the castle.

Kaguya frowned. "Let's head up to the third floor."

No one wanted to get anywhere near that monster bug.

"Upstairs it is," Natsuki agreed, and they dashed to the next level.

By now the players had split into two groups. Rikka, the long-haired girl, and five others followed Natsuki's team up to the third floor.

"Huff... huff..." Chika bent over, hands on her knees. "Are we... okay now?"

"Should we hide in a room?" Rikka suggested.

Kaguya shook her head. "No need. Those scarecrows are slow. If we stay in the hallway, we can react no matter which way they come from."

"She's right," Yukino chimed in. "As long as there are only two scarecrows and that puppet butler in the castle..."

Natsuki peered out a window. The blizzard outside showed no signs of letting up. The sky was dark and gloomy, like it might snow forever.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall.

Natsuki turned towards the sound. A tall figure with nothing above its neck appeared at the far end of the corridor.

"Whoa, is that Ghost Rider?" Chika blurted out.

Natsuki shook his head. "Nah, that's definitely the Headless Horseman."

"Ghost Rider's way cooler though," Chika pouted. "The Headless Horseman couldn't even carry his shoes!"

Natsuki had to chuckle at that. Even in a creepy situation like this, Chika managed to keep things light. But as the headless figure lumbered closer, he knew they'd have to move fast. This castle was getting more dangerous by the minute.

Natsuki eyed the approaching headless figure, thinking out loud, "If it's just one..."

Crash!

A door to their right burst open before he could finish. Out stepped a woman in a classic maid outfit, her skirt so long it nearly brushed the floor.

"A maid? Here?" Natsuki blinked in surprise.

The maid slowly turned, revealing dark, hollow eyes.

"Great," Natsuki muttered. "Of course there's a ghost maid in the haunted castle."

With two spirits closing in, the group silently backed away, heading down the opposite end of the hallway.

"This is weird," Chika whispered. "It was empty before. Why are all these ghosts showing up now?"

Natsuki shot her a look. "You were just complaining about how quiet it was."

"Well now it's too lively!" Chika pouted. "I preferred the quiet."

"Maybe you two should stop talking..." Kaguya started to say, when suddenly she caught a glimpse of something dark flying through the air. She tried to react, but it was too late.

In that split second, Natsuki's instincts kicked in. He stepped sideways, putting himself in front of Kaguya.

Thwack!

A splash of red bloomed on Natsuki's shoulder.

Kaguya's eyes went wide, her heart clenching.

"Huh. Doesn't hurt at all," Natsuki said, surprised.

All those "training" sessions with Miko stepping on his back must have toughened him up. His body had reacted before his mind could catch up.

"We're under attack!" Chika cried out.

Whoosh!

Another projectile came flying out of the darkness. Everyone ducked, covering their heads. The object hit the wall, exploding into red splatters.

Natsuki spotted a door nearby and shoved it open. "In here!"

Kaguya rushed in after him while Chika and the others ducked into another room.

As the door slammed shut, Natsuki felt a hand grab his. He turned to see Kaguya, biting her lip hard.

"Sit down," she ordered. "Let me check your shoulder."

"It's fine, really." Natsuki touched the spot, his fingers coming away sticky and red. He sniffed cautiously. "Wait a second... is this ketchup?"

Kaguya's eyes narrowed as she examined the "wound" more closely. "You're right. It's not blood at all."

Natsuki couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, that's a relief. Though I have to say, death by condiment isn't how I pictured going out."

Despite the tension, Kaguya's lips twitched in a small smile. "Don't joke about that. For a moment, I thought..."

She trailed off, but Natsuki understood. He squeezed her hand gently. "Hey, I'm okay. We're okay. But we need to figure out what's really going on in this castle."

"Ketchup?" Kaguya repeated, surprised. She touched it gingerly, eyes widening. "It really is... But who uses ketchup as a weapon?"

"A vengeful spirit, apparently," Natsuki corrected with a wry smile. "Though I have to say, wasting food seems pretty excessive, even for a ghost."

Kaguya's lips twitched, but her concern quickly returned. "What about Chika? Is she okay?"

Natsuki nodded towards the door. "She's hiding in the room across the hall with the others. Let me check if it's safe out there."

He crept to the door, listening carefully before cracking it open to peek outside. The corridor was empty – no headless knight, no creepy maid in sight.

Natsuki took a cautious step into the hallway. No ketchup attacks this time.

"Looks like the coast is clear," he said, turning back to Kaguya. "We should probably wait a bit longer just to be safe, though..."

He trailed off, suddenly realizing something was off. The room behind him was eerily quiet.

Natsuki spun around, his heart racing. The room was empty. Kaguya had vanished without a sound.

"Kaguya?" he called softly, trying to keep the panic from his voice. "Where'd you go?"

Silence answered him. The dim, creepy room offered no clues.

Natsuki's mind raced. Had Kaguya been snatched by some unseen force? Or had she slipped out for some reason? And if so, why hadn't she said anything?

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think logically. "Okay, Natsuki," he muttered to himself. "First things first. Check on Chika and the others. Then we'll figure out what happened to Kaguya."

With one last glance at the empty room, Natsuki stepped fully into the hallway. He had a bad feeling about this, but sitting around wouldn't solve anything. It was time to get to the bottom of whatever was going on in this bizarre castle.