Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

The sky was growing darker. 

The streetlights cast a faint glow, their dim light stretching long shadows of four figures walking side by side beneath them. 

Although someone had been rescued, it wasn't Kaguya. With all available clues exhausted, there was little choice but to return to the restaurant and devise a new plan. 

"Komi-san, how many times have you entered the dungeon?" 

It was Sajuna who broke the silence. 

As classmates, meeting unexpectedly in the game felt like fate. It was only right to look out for one another. Setting aside her identity as a novice, Sajuna resolved to temporarily take charge. 

"..." 

Komi raised two fingers. 

"This is only your second time and you're already encountering a high-difficulty dungeon? Your luck's not great," remarked Chika, her curiosity piqued. "Are you here alone?" 

Komi nodded swiftly. 

"No companions?" 

A quick shake of her head confirmed it. 

Amamiya turned to her and asked, "Have you met any other players?" 

Another nod from Komi-san. 

"Describe the physical features of the person you met." 

Komi hesitated, her eyes pleading, but she remained silent. 

Amamiya sighed in exasperation. 

"You keep nodding and shaking your head—watching you is exhausting. Why not just say something?" 

He thought back to the silver-haired loli, Aharen, whom he had encountered last time. Though she spoke softly, at least she talked. 

But this girl? Apart from the time her memory had been altered, she hadn't uttered a single word since leaving the room. Anyone seeing her might assume she couldn't speak. 

Noticing Amamiya's sigh, Komi flinched slightly before suddenly blinking. She reached into her game inventory and retrieved a notebook. After a moment of hesitation, she carefully tore out three sheets of paper and handed one to each of her companions. 

"What's this for?" Sajuna asked curiously. 

Still silent, Komi-san took out a pen and began writing in the notebook. 

"Hey, look!" Chika exclaimed in surprise. "There are words appearing on the paper!" 

Amamiya's eyes narrowed as he studied the paper in his hand. Elegant handwriting manifested seemingly out of nowhere. 

"I'm sorry to trouble everyone." 

"The player I encountered was a man with tattoos on his arms. I didn't dare approach him—I only observed from a distance and then avoided him." 

Chika let out a disappointed sigh. "If it's a man, it can't be Kaguya-chan or anyone from our group." 

"Sorry!" 

More words materialized on the paper. 

Amamiya's attention wasn't on the message, however. Instead, he scrutinized the black-haired girl with an intrigued expression, as if he'd just made a remarkable discovery. 

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "This is just ordinary paper, isn't it?" 

Komi-san nodded quickly. 

"You can synchronize writing onto paper... Is this your ability?" 

Another nod from Komi. 

"Is there a limit to how much you can synchronize? What's the maximum distance it works over? Have you tested it?" 

Komi blinked, seemingly startled by the barrage of questions. She stared blankly for a moment before bowing her head and writing in her notebook again. 

"If writing is too exhausting, you can display your skill panel," Sajuna suggested kindly. "It would be much easier that way." 

"..." 

Komi gripped the pen nervously, remaining motionless. 

"Eh?" Sajuna tilted her head in confusion. "What's wrong?" 

"..." 

Komi-san stayed frozen like a statue. 

"Is there some difficulty?" Chika ventures a guess. "If so, don't worry about it. No one's forcing you." 

Still, Komi said nothing. 

Finally, Amamiya sighed and asked, "You don't know how to display the panel, do you?" 

"..." 

Komi nodded quickly, confirming his suspicion. 

With Sajuna's hands-on guidance, Komi managed to figure out how to open the skill panel at last. 

Skill: Paper Medium 

Type: Active 

- Description: This skill allows you to use paper as a medium. Anything you write will appear on a designated piece of paper, but the text will vanish after a few minutes. Only you can write using this skill, and it won't replicate anything written by the paper's owner. 

 - Limitations: Writing consumes your mental energy. If your mental energy is too low, you won't be able to use this skill. 

Note: "My name is Nitro. When you see this sentence, I have already…" 

——

"That's a fantastic skill," Amamiya said, his eyes lighting up as he turned to Komi. 

At first, he had thought she was simply a mascot character, but now it seemed she was a hidden gem. 

In horror game scenarios, electronic devices often became unusable, making communication a significant challenge. Komi's skill, however, was tailor-made for such situations. With her ability, one-sided message delivery could be converted into efficient, two-way communication. 

If only he had met Komi-san before entering the game, the team could have been formed far earlier. 

She wasn't just a teammate—she was a treasure! 

An ultra-rare character! 

Amamiya's scrutinizing gaze made Komi tremble again, anxiety plain on her face. 

"Unity is strength," Amamiya said reassuringly. "It's far too dangerous to tackle a dungeon alone. From now on, you'll team up with JuJu-sama." 

Komi peeked timidly at Sajuna, her head tilting in confusion. 

"Ahem." Sajuna coughed awkwardly and turned her head to the side. "It's just a code name... that's all." 

At that moment, an emotionless voice echoed from the void. 

'(I heard in the morning that I could die in the evening. Yet I still found my way to you. Your death is near...)' 

Chika glanced up at the night sky. In its pitch-black expanse, there were no stars or moon—just emptiness. 

"That narration again." 

Earlier, while working at the food stall, they had heard the narrator multiple times, each instance signaling a dangerous situation. 

Amamiya had tried influencing the narration before, but to no avail. 

Two possibilities came to mind. 

One: The same trick couldn't be used twice. 

Two: ... 

Turning toward Chika, Amamiya spoke urgently. "Chika, cooperate with me." 

"Huh?" 

"You've been hiding that ghost story videotape," Amamiya said with a sinister smile. "It seems I'll have to punish you." 

Komi trembled, visibly startled by the sudden shift. 

"Don't be afraid," Sajuna tried to reassure her but refrained from explaining further, wary of the narrator overhearing. "You'll understand soon enough." 

The narrator's focus did not waver. 

Clearly, mere harsh words wouldn't provoke a highlight moment. 

In that case... 

With a deliberate motion, Amamiya snatched the videotape, seized Chika's wrist, and pushed her down onto a nearby bench. Producing a marker, he reached under her skirt with his other hand. 

"I've been meaning to mark your thighs with my mark," he declared theatrically. 

The narration faltered for a brief moment before resuming: 

'(The boy in the hero's uniform strikes his companion from behind, seizing the ghost story videotape and inscribing his mark on the girl thigh...)' 

"I! Am! Not! Afraid!" Chika shouted defiantly, tilting her chin up and exposing her slender neck. She played along enthusiastically. "I'd rather die than surrender!" 

The narration continued: 

'(The helpless girl resolved to resist, even at the cost of her life...)' 

"This bastard narrator," Amamiya thought to himself while gripping Chika's skirt, "isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."