Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

A moment later. 

After bidding farewell to the store manager, Amamiya walked out of the restaurant with Sajuna. 

"…There are so many people!" 

As soon as they stepped outside, Sajuna was startled by the sight of players standing in neat rows by the door. 

Kaguya, Umi, Chika, Hayasaka, Amamiya, and Sajuna—there were already six of them. Adding the stranger players they had encountered yesterday, the total number of people had already exceeded ten. 

Throughout the day, more and more passersby joined the group. By the time everyone had gathered, the crowd exceeded twenty people. 

Needless to say, Kaguya and the others must have been acting together. 

The passerby players who had gathered that day had all responded to the call and chosen to join the rescue mission. 

Unfortunately, everyone's outfits were vastly different. It would have been far more impressive if they'd all worn matching black suits. 

"Let's move out," Amamiya said, scanning the group before looking toward the passerby girl, Kobayashi. "Lead the way." 

The girl, Kobayashi, bowed and replied respectfully, "Yes." 

Sajuna: "…" 

I was just busy inside the restaurant. How did things suddenly turn into what looks like a mafia gathering? 

Kobayashi walked at the front of the group, followed by Amamiya, then Sajuna and the others, with the rest of the passerby players bringing up the rear. 

The group set out toward their destination in a mighty procession. 

Not long after, they encountered a local townsperson. It was unclear whether this individual was connected to ghost stories or was simply one of the more suspicious-looking residents. Upon seeing Amamiya and his large group approaching with such intensity, the local froze for two seconds before turning around and running away without saying a word. 

"Hey, hey, hey—did that evil spirit just run away?" 

One of the passerby players exclaimed in disbelief. 

"Was he scared?" 

"Most likely." 

"If you were walking alone on the street and suddenly saw a massive group of people charging toward you, you'd be scared too—even if you were part of a ghost story!" 

"…" 

"This is surreal," Chika muttered quietly as she walked beside Amamiya. "Last night, we were just passersby, worried about all kinds of things, terrified of running into ghost stories. But after just one day, it seems even the ghost stories are running away from us now." 

Sajuna seemed equally bewildered. She murmured softly, "…Why does it feel like we're the villains in this town?" 

Amamiya, however, remained calm and said, "This sense of dominance is only an illusion." 

Kaguya crossed her right hand over her chest and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Everyone here hasn't received any formal training, nor do they have the discipline to follow orders. It may seem like a large group, but if we encounter something truly dangerous, this entire crowd will fall apart in an instant." 

Hearing this, Sajuna couldn't help but feel nervous. "Is… is that really going to happen?" 

"Don't worry," Umi said confidently, placing her hand on her hip. "We're here. Even if we run into a ghost story, we'll just catch it and bring it to justice." 

Amamiya glanced at her and said calmly, "Please don't jinx it." 

"…" 

Fortunately, the worst didn't happen. 

The group marched onward in their impressive formation, encountering nothing unusual along the way, until they finally arrived at a dilapidated amusement park.

The Ghost Town didn't have many residents, and most of them were elderly with limited mobility. Naturally, a place like an amusement park held no appeal to anyone. 

What was strange, however, was that despite the late hour, dim lights in the park were still on. The cold wind blew through, causing the park's signs to sway precariously, which only added to the eerie and unsettling atmosphere. 

"Amamiya-san, this is the place," Kobayashi said nervously, turning toward Amamiya with a hint of anticipation. 

Amamiya nodded slightly. He shifted his gaze toward the ticket booth not far away and asked in a low voice: 

"Is there anyone inside?" 

"I'm not sure," Kobayashi replied, her face slightly flushed. "There's a collapsed wall up ahead. Ryoko and I just walked straight in last time." 

"Alright. Let's go and take a look." 

Amamiya walked toward the ticket booth. 

The booth looked particularly shabby, like an old roadside telephone booth from the last century, leaving one worried that it might collapse with a loud crash at any moment. 

Peering through the small partition window, the interior was pitch-black, making it difficult to see anything clearly. 

Amamiya took out a flashlight and shone it inside. The light revealed nothing more than a table and a chair. However, sitting on the chair was a woman in uniform, who seemed to flinch at the sudden light. She slowly raised her head, revealing empty, dark eye sockets and pale, skeletal features. 

"Ah…" 

Sajuna let out a small cry of alarm. 

She had thought it was just a lifeless corpse, but she hadn't expected it to suddenly move. The way it raised its head was terrifying. 

A low, dissatisfied growl escaped the ticket seller's mouth. The ghostly figure, now revealed to be a vengeful spirit, stood up, bracing its hands on the table. It leaned forward, staring at the group outside with its hollow, dark eyes. 

The passersby players immediately tensed up, their unease clearly visible. 

Amamiya, however, remained calm and said, "We want to go to the amusement park. How much is the ticket?" 

Having stayed in the town for more than a day, the players had picked up certain survival skills—chief among them, the importance of following the rules. 

For instance, restaurants had rules: you had to pay for your meal after eating. Convenience stores had rules: you had to pay for what you bought. 

What if you couldn't pay? 

Well, in this town, failure to pay meant settling your debts with your life. 

Applying the same logic, the amusement park clearly had its own rule: you needed to purchase a ticket to enter. 

The ghostly ticket seller paused for a moment, clearly surprised that a human would willingly buy a ticket. Then, in a hoarse voice, it said: 

"One thousand yen per ticket." 

Amamiya turned toward Chika. While he was responsible for making money, the group's finances were currently under her control. 

Slap. 

A sleek black wallet was slapped onto the counter. 

Chika raised her chin confidently and said, "One ticket per person. Money is no issue." 

"…" 

Selling tickets for money was a straightforward transaction. 

The ghostly ticket seller inspected the banknotes Chika handed over and, upon confirming they were valid town currency, fell silent. Then, it retrieved a stack of amusement park admission tickets. 

"Please keep your tickets safe," the ticket seller rasped. "Do not lose them." 

"Everyone, line up," Chika instructed firmly. "One ticket per person. Do not enter the amusement park without a ticket—there could be unforeseen dangers." 

Amamiya quickly received his ticket and examined it. The design was noticeably old-fashioned, in keeping with the booth's dilapidated appearance. 

"Are you okay, Kobayashi?" Umi asked softly, noticing that the passerby girl seemed dazed. 

"I… I'm not sure…" Kobayashi murmured, her pink lips trembling. "I didn't know you had to buy a ticket to enter the amusement park… It was me. I found the gap in the wall before, and it was my fault Ryoko got hurt…" 

Kaguya's cold voice cut through the air: 

"Now is not the time for self-recrimination. Your friend might still be alive, waiting for you to come help." 

"We can address blame later," Amamiya added calmly. "For now, let's focus on finding your friend." 

"You're right." The passerby girl quickly steeled herself, clutching her ticket tightly. She bit her lip and said with determination, "Ryoko must still be waiting for me!" 

The tickets were distributed without delay. 

Amamiya looked at the dim, foreboding amusement park ahead and took the lead, stepping inside.