A crossover anime/manga story, set in everyday Tokyo, but within a loop of a game.

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Asagiri nodded: "It seems that it's impossible to summon equipment when the body is restricted."

Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki pursed her lips and softly responded, her eyes showing a somewhat complicated expression.

It wasn't because she and Asagiri held hands intimately, but because she realized that from the moment they entered the instance, the other person had been leading her forward. Whether it was escaping the ward, analyzing the "caregiver's" true purpose, or obtaining information through experimentation after receiving the completion reward, Asagiri's actions were always so efficient.

If it were an ordinary girl, she would probably be very happy to have someone guide her like this so that she could clear the game without having to put in any effort. But Yuuki Asuna is different.

Having received an elite education since childhood, her pride wouldn't allow her to remain a slacker, like a delicate and cute ornament, doing nothing useful and just hanging around Asagiri to help her clear the game.

Of course, Asuna Yuuki was well aware that acting impulsively out of pride would not only fail to provide help but would also make her a troublesome teammate. She was determined to adapt to the pace of the dungeon as soon as possible and strive to at least demonstrate her value as a teammate when she entered the dungeon again next time.

"Wait a minute, something's not right..."

After releasing Asagiri's hand, Asuna Yuuki suddenly frowned slightly.

"The reward for this app is a rapier... While it's not easy to buy, it's not exactly rare either. Since you can bring in a chainsaw and a drill, why don't I just bring a weapon from the real world next time I enter a dungeon? Although it has the convenient feature of being readily available, as one of the rewards for an A+ rating completion... isn't it a bit too ordinary?"

"Congratulations, Blind Student, you've discovered the beauty."

Instead of giving a direct explanation, Asagiri guided Asuna Yuuki's train of thought by asking questions.

"Since I can bring weapons like chainsaws and drills when I enter a dungeon, if I had a gun with me, could I bring that in too? If you can bring your own weapons, what's the point of the so-called equipment rewards from dungeons?"

Upon hearing this, Asuna Yuuki murmured thoughtfully.

"Yeah, what's the point? Does it mean that bringing your own weapon is a perk for newbies entering a dungeon for the first time, and that you won't be able to bring weapons when you enter dungeons again? No, it's not just that. I understand now. The fact that you can bring your own weapon because this dungeon is a newbie dungeon is itself a hint for clearing it!"

Asagiri asked with great interest, "Oh? What do you mean?"

As her thoughts suddenly opened up, Yuuki Asuna's delicate face lit up with excitement, and she immediately answered.

"Because the 'caregiver' will not attack the 'player' at all, as long as you escape within the time limit, there is no need to fight. If you do not escape within the time limit, some kind of anomaly will occur in the sanatorium, and you will never be able to leave. So the key is when the 'player' deduces the 'caregiver's' true purpose and when they can muster the courage to open the ward door. As for whether the weapon they carry is a fruit knife, a power drill or a chainsaw, or even if they enter empty-handed, it will not affect whether they can pass the level."

008 Jushan Mental Hospital

After giving this analysis, Asuna Yuuki felt a surge of joy, her spirits lifted, and she couldn't help but tilt her chin up slightly.

However, before she could feel smug about her own intellect, she noticed Asagiri's calm expression, which was completely unsurprised and could even be described as utterly indifferent.

"You... you already guessed this?"

"more or less."

Asagiri nodded and replied with a smile.

"When I first entered the dungeon, I realized that the chainsaw and drill hadn't disappeared. However, it wasn't until after I cleared the dungeon and saw the so-called 'equipment' in the app's rewards that I was convinced that the 'no restriction on players carrying any weapons' was one of the special tips given for clearing the dungeon, since it was a newbie dungeon."

Immediately afterwards, Asagiri changed the subject.

"This is just the first dungeon for newcomers. There is no difficulty in clearing it. The so-called reasoning does not require any outstanding brains. What can be called a test is how long it takes for the 'player' to calm down and seriously think about the clues. Even if you don't guess the truth about the 'caregiver', as long as you have enough courage to rush out the door, you can clear the dungeon. Of course, there is also a simple way to clear the dungeon without taking any risks."

Asuna Yuuki asked curiously, "What method?"

Asagiri glanced at her and said something rather meaningful.

"Why do you think this instance assigned two 'players' to the same hospital room?"

Asuna Yuuki's expression changed; she had already understood the meaning behind Asagiri's words.

Although she came from a wealthy family, she was not so naive as to be ignorant of the ways of the world.

In that high-pressure environment of extreme fear, it's incredibly difficult to stay calm and think clearly. Add to that the one-hour time limit, and as time ticks away, new players entering the dungeon for the first time may feel anxious, even losing their composure...

At this point, the seemingly simplest and most reasonable choice emerges.

Use another player in the room as bait to push them out, and then take the opportunity to escape.

The caregiver won't attack the player unprovoked, but the problem is...

No one would willingly be pushed out. Once one player has such an intention, and it is noticed by another player in the ward, it becomes a life-or-death struggle.

"Okay, let's go."

Upon hearing Asagiri's words, Asuna Yuuki snapped out of her daze.

"Where...are we going?"

"Given the current situation, we can only return after the deadline has passed."

At this point, Asagiri took out her phone and glanced at it. Although she didn't know if this was still the same world as before, as long as her phone wasn't malfunctioning, she would know how long it had taken since entering the instance. This was a beginner instance with almost no difficulty, so it was unlikely that some mysterious force would tamper with the time displayed on the phone to create an illusion for the "player".

"There are 48 minutes left. We have already claimed the completion reward, but we have not yet returned to the real world. In that case, why don't we consider the remaining time limit of the dungeon as part of the reward and use this time to investigate this sanatorium? We might be able to obtain valuable information. After all, no one can guarantee that this is the last time we come to this dungeon."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Let's go."

Without much hesitation, Yuuki Asuna followed Asagiri through the courtyard again, heading towards one of the European-style buildings.

During this process, the two of them were not idle and directly told each other what rewards they had received after clearing the level.

"Huh? You've already unlocked your talent? And you even have a special class?"

When Yuuki Asuna heard about the rewards for clearing Asagiri, her surprise was palpable.

The difference between an A+ and an S+ completion rating is only one major level, but the rewards are far too different!

His own swordsmanship was unremarkable, just one of the most basic classes, and the equipment he had was only of ordinary quality. The truly powerful item he possessed was "Wind's Blessing," which he hadn't yet used and which made his body lighter and more agile. 7

As a result, although Asagiri had one less piece of equipment than her, she gained the special profession of diplomat. Considering the scene of Asagiri talking to the caregiver when she left the ward, Yuuki Asuna felt that this special profession was simply tailor-made for her.

Putting aside that teddy bear who tells dirty jokes, the key point is that Asagiri has also unlocked her exclusive talent, Persona.

Although Asuna Yuuki didn't quite understand the specific effects of this talent, she guessed it must be incredibly powerful. After all, the description of the opponent's exclusive talent was longer than the combined descriptions of all her completion rewards—how could it not be amazing? 5

But then she thought about it again and realized it made perfect sense.

Asagiri's completion speed was ridiculously fast, and she even helped Asagiri complete the game. It was no surprise that she received such a reward. Although their completion ratings seemed to differ by only one level, perhaps she got an A+ because that's what she is, while Asagiri got an S+ because that's the highest rating she could get.

After entering the lobby on the first floor of the building, the two searched through the various rooms, but found nothing of value except for an admission registration form.

Asuna Yuuki held the blood-stained hospital registration form, struggling to decipher the handwriting as she read aloud.

"Let me see...Mount Giant Mental Asylum...Project 136...Chris Walker, Male...Warning: This patient is extremely dangerous and requires the highest level of security..."

After reading aloud everything that was still legible, Asuna Yuuki frowned and looked at Asagiri.

"Why would the hospital registration form refer to the mentally ill patients as 'projects' and even give them numbers? This place is definitely not a normal mental hospital."

After searching the lobby on the first floor, they only had twenty minutes left to clear the dungeon. Considering they needed to allow enough time to escape, Asuna Yuuki and Asagiri decided to take another look at the second floor of the building before leaving.

As the two passed through the stairwell and arrived at the second-floor corridor, they saw a tall, blood-faced caregiver standing quietly not far away, with his face pressed against the observation window in an eerie, bent-over posture.

Just then, the ward door was suddenly pulled open, and a blood-covered person pounced on the blood-faced caregiver.

"That is..."

The next second, a man of medium build, holding a kitchen knife and with his clothes also stained with blood, rushed out of the ward and quickly ran in the opposite direction from the blood-faced caregiver, that is, towards Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna.

He was taken aback when he saw the two people standing at the entrance of the stairwell.

"who are you?"

009 The Uncompassionate

Asagiri didn't answer, nor did Yuuki Asuna. Both of them looked past the man and at the first person who had been thrown out of the room.

After the man bumped into the blood-faced caregiver, his body went limp and he collapsed to the ground. A deep wound on his neck was clearly visible, from which blood was gushing out. The blood-faced caregiver stood there motionless, seemingly puzzled and not understanding what had happened.

The next second, Asagiri and Yuuki Asuna's gazes fell on the blood-stained kitchen knife in the man's hand.

"Look, I'll just say it."

Asagiri smiled and whispered to Yuuki Asuna beside her.

"I didn't expect there to be other players here besides us, and they actually went so far as to use someone from the same ward as a human shield. That person's neck was almost cut off. How heavy a blow was that? Tsk tsk tsk, it's really terrifying."

At this moment, Asuna Yuuki was unable to utter a single word. After all, before today, she was just a wealthy young lady who had never seen such a bloody scene.

What happened before her eyes...without a doubt...was murder.

Why? Why could Asagiri remain calm under these circumstances, and even have the mind to joke?

Doesn't this guy feel fear?

"okay."

Asagiri reached out and gently placed her hand on Yuuki Asuna's slightly trembling shoulder, and smiled.

"We should go now, the customs clearance deadline is approaching."

Asuna Yuuki took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

"it is good..."

Just as the two were about to turn and leave, the man holding the kitchen knife seemed to finally realize what was happening. A ferocious look appeared on his face, and he gritted his teeth and shouted.

"You've all seen it... so you can't leave!"

"Yo ho?"

Upon hearing this, Asagiri's face did not show fear or vigilance, but rather the joy of a fisherman who had finally caught a big fish, his voice filled with the satisfaction of a bountiful harvest.

"I didn't realize you were such a ruthless person. You're so determined to go all the way. You're planning to kill us two eyewitnesses too? That's interesting."

The man with the knife was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, not understanding why the other party was not afraid at all, even though he had just killed someone.

Is he crazy? Or does he think he's too scared to do it?

The man sized up Asagiri and Asuna Yuuki, confirming that neither of them appeared to be carrying weapons. He decided to disregard the cute girl, as she posed no threat whatsoever; he only needed to kill the boy first...

"go to hell!!"

The high-pressure environment, coupled with the fact that he had just killed someone, caused the man to completely lose his mind. Holding the blood-stained kitchen knife high, with a ferocious and twisted expression on his face, he charged towards Asagiri, who was standing there.

Faced with the attack from the knife-wielding man, Asagiri simply stood still with a smile on her face, turning to look at Yuuki Asuna beside her.

"Yuki-kun, if you don't make a move, he's going to cut me."

Seeing that the man had already rushed in front of her, and that bloodstained kitchen knife, gleaming with a cold light, was about to strike Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna had no time to think and acted instinctively.

"Wind Protection."

As she uttered the skill's name, Asuna Yuuki felt her body become exceptionally light, and a slender rapier appeared in her hand. With an extremely nimble movement, she pierced directly through the wrist of the man who was holding a cleaver.

"clang."

The cleaver fell to the ground with a crisp sound, followed by the man's painful scream.

"Ah!! My, my hand..."

Asuna Yuuki drew her rapier and watched the man clutch his wrist, crying out in pain. She felt no pity, but instead looked at Asagiri, who was smiling, and sighed softly.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"Of course."

Asagiri made no attempt to conceal it and readily admitted it.

"Even if I don't get the completion reward, I'm not going to be hacked to death by this guy with a kitchen knife. I just want you to do it. After all, similar things will definitely happen in the future. I want you to get used to it early so that you don't drag our team down because of your saintly complex of not wanting to hurt anyone."

Asuna Yuuki gave a soft hum, raised her left hand to tidy her chestnut-brown hair, and said in a flat tone.

"Hmph, since others are planning to attack me, how could I possibly sit idly by and wait to die just because I'm afraid of hurting them? I'm not that stupid."

"hehe."

Asagiri's next sentence directly exposed Yuuki Asuna's feigned toughness.

"If that's the case, why didn't you just stab him in the throat? Don't tell me you were worried about me getting chopped by the cleaver. With the speed you just showed, you could have easily pierced his wrist first and then stabbed his throat. You sound so determined, but you really can't take a life, can you?"

After pausing for a few seconds, Asuna Yuuki managed to force herself to explain.

"I...isn't this a normal thing? This is murder, who can just do it like that? You're just talking about me, but you probably couldn't do it either, could you?"

Asagiri wore an expression as if she had heard a lame joke.

"What are you talking about? I can do it perfectly well, without the slightest hesitation. Now that you're familiar with your abilities, it's my turn to familiarize myself with mine."

After saying that, a black pistol suddenly appeared in Asagiri's hand, and the next second, he did something that made Yuuki Asuna's pupils shrink in surprise.

Asagiri raised his pistol, but instead of pointing it at the man clutching his wrist, he pressed it against his own temple, his index finger already on the trigger.

"What are you going to do..."

Before Asuna Yuuki could finish speaking, Asagiri's originally black eyes suddenly flashed with golden light, and she pulled the trigger of her pistol without hesitation.