Yotsuya Miko had a dream.
In the dream, she wore a pure white wedding dress with flowers pinned at her waist.
Her gaze drifted forward as she stepped through the solemn chimes of a church bell, walking toward a man in a suit waiting ahead.
Why was she here?
Her consciousness was hazy, unable to clearly discern the scene before her or make out the identity of the waiting figure.
But it felt familiar. Intimate.
A feeling that if it was him, then he must be the one she hoped for.
So she felt a flutter of joy.
Upon seeing him, all her confusion melted away as she wholeheartedly moved toward him.
"Will you be my wife?"
She heard him ask gently in a tender voice.
"I do."
Her answer came instinctively, without the slightest hesitation.
Then he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
As the church bells grew more resonant—
She felt his fingers trail lightly across her skin.
Her breathing gradually grew heavier.
One moment they were in the church, the next they were in a dimly lit bedroom.
Her heart pounded wildly.
She felt him scoop her up, lay her on the bed, then gently undo the clasps of her white wedding dress with careful fingers.
What followed was a blur of sensations that left her mind in disarray.
"Choosing me—no regrets?"
His whisper came then.
"How could I? It's only because of you, senpai, that I made it this far. So the only one I can choose... the only one I will choose... is you..."
Her voice was timid yet firm as she buried her face against his chest.
Her heartbeat grew even heavier.
His arms tightened around her.
And then—
And then Miko woke up.
"Ugh... Wh-what kind of dream was that?!"
The vividness of it—the sheer detail of those blush-inducing scenes—left her cheeks burning like ripened peaches.
It was too embarrassing.
Those positions, those sensations—things she'd never experienced yet could recall with such clarity—made her want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
Weren't dreams supposed to be products of the subconscious? Meaning they shouldn't contain anything beyond one's own knowledge.
But those acts, those positions... She'd never done any of that! So why could she imagine them so naturally in the dream? And feel them so viscerally?!
And of all people, why did it have to be him? The one who'd left the deepest impression on her.
It made no sense.
Miko couldn't understand it at all.
This whole thing... Ugh, whatever. Time for a shower.
Shaking her head, the girl grabbed her casual clothes and headed for the bathroom—only to pause, turn back red-faced, pull out a pale green pair of panties from her drawer, then resume her path.
Last night's dream was... really something else.
As she felt the lingering phantom sensations, Miko sighed inwardly. The blush on her cheeks showed no signs of fading anytime soon.
Meanwhile, in a guest room at the Shinomiya estate, Takakai opened his eyes, staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.
"Even though I'm not a virgin anymore—properly 'eaten meat,' multiple times at that—why am I still having reactions like this? Is this another side effect of the blessing's physical enhancements? How troublesome..."
Muttering to himself, Takakai couldn't help recalling Miko's shy expression in the dream—that mix of reluctance and yearning.
Somehow, even though it was just a dream, it felt real.
Hmm. And her reactions were different from Chika's or Maki's. Chika acted bold at first but was actually quite passive until she warmed up. Maki played along with little protests, like some kidnapper-hostage roleplay, but got into it quickly. But dream-Miko's blend of shyness and desire... That was a flavor all its own.
Too bad it was just a dream. Would've been nice if it were real.
But... Well, never mind that. Right now, the priority was rescuing Kaguya's maid, Hayasaka Ai.
Stretching, Takakai washed up in the guest room's attached bathroom—taking care of certain "stains" that hadn't appeared in a long time—before stepping out into the hallway.
There, at the end of the corridor, stood Kaguya—dark circles under her eyes, clearly having slept poorly.
"Seriously, you need to rest properly. Remember what kind of place we're heading into. Going in exhausted is asking for trouble."
Seeing her state, Takakai felt compelled to remind her.
"...I know. I just couldn't sleep."
Kaguya shook her head before falling silent again.
They took a Shinomiya family car to an upscale venue where Kohatori had reserved a private room. Upon their arrival, he presented the three Dark Night-grade Remnants Takakai had requested.
First Remnant: [20-Sided Golden Luck Die]
A pure gold die with 20 faces, used by holding it while contemplating a decision, then rolling it. The result indicated the action's potential outcome:
20: Certain success, possibly with unexpected benefits10: Inconclusive or neutral outcomeBelow 10: Increasing likelihood of negative consequences
A roll of 1 would immediately draw the attention of dungeon horrors and trigger disastrous events. Additionally, each subsequent use in the same dungeon increased the chance of rolling 1, as higher-numbered faces gradually turned into 1s. By the 20th use, every face would show 1—though even then, it technically remained "functional."
Second Remnant: [Surge Blood]
A small vial of perpetually swirling, seemingly alive blood.
Drinking a fingernail-sized amount could regenerate severed limbs. Larger doses could save someone bisected or dismembered. It also reversed mental contamination and cognitive distortion by overwriting the user's state with the blood's original host's "normal" self-perception.
However:
If the user considered their usual state "abnormal," effects became unpredictableLimited to three sips per person—exceeding this caused irreversible cognitive distortionThe blood came from a Dark Night dungeon where victims were mentally rewired into believing they were ordinary humans despite becoming monsters
Third Remnant: [Mystery Toy Box]
Also privately nicknamed [Useless Piece of Sht]* by frustrated players.
A sealed box with a hand-sized hole. Inserting a hand would retrieve a random toy—stuffed animals, action figures, etc.—all of which were alive and moved according to inexplicable logic.
Key traits:
Toys had no supernatural abilities (strongest recorded: a Chucky-like doll with the strength of 10 children)Each toy vanished after 15 minutes; only one could exist at a time Near-zero risk of malfunction (the most "stable" and least useful Dark Night Remnant discovered)
"Mr. Takakai, are you certain about this one?"
Kohatori looked genuinely conflicted, feeling like he was scamming Takakai by including the toy box.
"Yes. This is the one."
Takakai was firm. Shirasawa Elementary involved children, and Kumami's hint—"think from a child's perspective"—convinced him this seemingly useless item might prove unexpectedly valuable.
His instincts told him so.
With the exchange completed (Takakai's obsolete Twilight-grade Remnants and Kaguya's payment for the three new ones), Takakai stored them in his watch's spatial storage.
"So... preparations are complete?" Kaguya asked quietly.
"For now. But don't rush—haste won't solve anything."
Takakai checked his phone, reviewing the four clues about Shirasawa Elementary copied in his notes.