Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Chapter 27: Who Is Quietly Waiting for You in the Dream?

Creak... creak...

Click!

A crisp sound echoed as the lock of Room 204's door released. Previously stuck and unusable, it was now functional.

"All done. Although it's just a temporary fix, it should hold up for a few days without issues."

Wiping sweat off his forehead, Sun Dajun looked up and smiled at Takakai.

"Thank you very much. At least now I can feel a bit more at ease at night."

Takakai tested the door handle, noting it was indeed only a temporary repair. The handle still felt somewhat jammed, but compared to its previous state of being completely immobile, at least it now had some movement and wasn't entirely stuck.

"Are you absolutely sure that the man named Old Guo can turn the clock to fast-forward time at any moment?"

Standing not far away, Shijo Maki surveyed the surroundings nervously before voicing the question again.

"I'm certain. The last time we faced complete annihilation, it was because that bastard."

Takakai shook his head, glancing at the others in the hallway and then at the wall clock in Shinomiya Kaguya's hands, his heart filled with unease.

The exploration of the gap in the kitchen of Room 206 didn't take long.

After Kaguya confirmed the contents of the second notebook, Takakai tried probing again but didn't even step out of the living room this time, choosing to close its door instead. Then, he decided to withdraw. First, he sealed the first-floor kitchen door tightly. After returning to the second floor, he carefully covered the gap, secured the kitchen door, and instructed everyone to head back to their rooms.

Old Guo could use the Black Man to turn the clock at any time. Once that happened, the time in the entire apartment building would quickly shift to night.

Thus, before this could occur, everyone needed to return to their respective rooms.

Sun Dajun left Room 206 and used tools he had found in his own room to fix the door of Room 204, helping Takakai and Kaguya resolve the issue with the broken lock. Notably, just after Sun Dajun stepped out of Room 206, Green—who had been assigned by Maki to guard the open door of Room 206—noticed a charred corpse had mysteriously appeared in the hallway of Room 206. The sight almost caused him to collapse on the spot.

However, the moment Sun Dajun returned to Room 206—or more precisely, when he stepped back inside the door of Room 206—the charred corpse disappeared from the hallway. It was later found in the burnt wardrobe where it had originally lain.

During the day, when residents left their rooms, the corpses inside could sometimes react—or sometimes not. But as soon as the residents returned, the corpses would settle back into their original states.

Later, Takakai intentionally inspected Green's Room 209 and quickly found a dried corpse hidden in the damaged ceiling. This corpse, much like the man in the fridge in Room 208, showed no reaction when Green left the room. However, when Green stood outside Room 209 and Takakai entered, Takakai heard footsteps the moment he stepped in. Quickly pulling Green inside, they discovered that the dried corpse had moved to the living room.

Green's face turned ashen at that moment. Especially when he learned he would have to spend the night in the same room as the corpse—or risk being killed by the "horror story"—his expression green as pale as a frog. Each step he took into the room was trembling and hesitant.

He was terrified of death.

The man named Green was extremely, overwhelmingly afraid of dying.

Perhaps it was because he had experienced one of the horror stories firsthand, but Green's fear of the strange and terrifying elements in these stories far exceeded that of others.

He understood all too well that in this deadly game riddled with danger, a single misstep could cost his life. That's why he desperately clung to anyone who appeared strong.

What a troublesome person.

Takahashi Takakai couldn't help but think this.

For now, Green obeyed because he believed that staying with the group would provide him with safety and a chance to survive.

But what if the situation became dire? What if no one could offer him a sense of security and he was forced to take risks himself? Would he still follow orders?

He needed to be watched carefully.

Meanwhile, Maeda Miwa from Room 205 was nearly forced inside.

When she learned she would have to spend the entire night in a pitch-black, foul-smelling room with a female corpse, she went berserk. Screaming hysterically, flailing wildly, and crying uncontrollably, she even lost control of her bladder in the chaos. No matter how much Takakai and the others tried to reason with her, she refused to stay.

In the end, Green stepped forward, put her in a chokehold, and rendered her unconscious. He then carried her into the living room of Room 205, threw her inside, and locked the door from the outside, thus resolving the issue.

During the process, Sun Dajun seemed hesitant. But when Takakai asked if he was prepared to bear the consequences if her screaming attracted all sorts of monsters, Sun Dajun remained silent for a long time. In the end, he chose to stay out of it.

Kindness required context—and the right recipient.

In the terrifying confines of the Shirakawa Apartments, where everyone was focused on their own survival, no one had the luxury of sparing compassion for someone who was neither cooperative nor useful. So much so that Green shamelessly took the supply crate from Room 205 and cheerfully handed it over to Takakai and the others.

However, taking the supply crate while the occupant was still alive was somewhat unethical. Moreover, both Shijo Maki and Sun Dajun disapproved of this action. Eventually, the supply crate was returned to Room 205.

"This is the first time I've seen someone so useless that they do nothing but cause trouble," Takakai remarked with a shake of his head as he watched Green deftly use a thin steel wire to lock the door of Room 205 from the outside.

"Living in peace and stability for too long—when thrown into a harsh environment, people like that end up like this. Ultimately, the greatest purpose of modern society's progress is to ensure the survival of more 'useless people.' It's not noticeable under normal circumstances, but when it comes down to critical moments, these people become burdens."

Born into a cold and pragmatic zaibatsu family, Shinomiya Kaguya no longer regarded Maeda Miwa as a person. Seeing Takakai return the supply crate due to Shijo Maki's compassion, she snorted derisively, her disdain for their actions evident.

"Well, at the very least, you should maintain some dignity while they're still alive," Takakai said awkwardly.

In truth, he had intended to accept the supply crate that Green offered. However, Shijo Maki's compassion made him hesitate. After all, the food in the crate wasn't much. Compared to hunger, the threats posed by the "horror story" in the Shirakawa Apartments were far more terrifying.

Ultimately, he decided to return the supply crate because Shijo Maki's opinion mattered more to him.

Whether he realized that both Shijo Maki and Shinomiya Kaguya had seen through his reasoning—leaving the former deep in thought and the latter eager for some entertainment—was uncertain.

But that didn't matter now. The immediate pressure of survival was the most important concern.

...

Clack—clack—

Reality eventually proved Takahashi Takakai's thoughts to be correct.

Accompanied by distinct ticking sounds, the clocks in every room began to accelerate clockwise, with time rushing forward unnaturally fast.

However, since Takakai hadn't adjusted the clock this time, he didn't witness any unusual visions. Instead, Sun Dajun suffered the brunt of it. Curled up on his bed, his mind filled with vague, blurry images that he couldn't make sense of, and his hearing clouded by strange murmurs. Eventually, he lost consciousness and passed out completely.

Takakai closed the living room door and locked it.

Turning back, he glanced at the nailed-shut window in the living room.

By now, the light outside the window was fading rapidly. The entire apartment complex transitioned from day to night at an unnervingly fast pace.

"The clock hands will stop at 8:50 PM," Takakai said quietly to Shinomiya Kaguya, who stood in one corner of the room. "That means once the hands stop, we'll have only ten minutes to prepare for absolute silence until dawn."

After speaking, he removed his shoes and socks, leaning against the wall and sitting down on the floor.

Having explored the first floor earlier, both his shoes and socks were soaked. A single night wouldn't be enough to dry them, but he had no choice but to endure.

"Understood," Shinomiya Kaguya replied softly, nodding before sitting down on the floor as well.

Neither of them opted to use the filthy bed in the room.

The light outside the window had dimmed significantly.

Takakai knew that total darkness was only moments away.

"The layout of this room suggests that this window should open into the hallway of Room 205," Takakai remarked after some thought, deciding to speak before the silence rule took effect. He hoped it might improve the strained atmosphere between them.

"The distortion of space—you've mentioned it before," Shinomiya Kaguya replied coolly from her seat a short distance away. "You said the third floor had become an infinite, chaotic space."

"Exactly. But there's something else that's been bothering me," Takakai hesitated briefly before continuing. "Shijo Maki, Sun Dajun, and Green—each of them has a corpse in their respective rooms. These three individuals all stay alone, forming a pattern we can observe."

"But this pattern has exceptions. For instance, our room—two people sharing one room. That's unprecedented."

"Furthermore, Room 205 is extremely unusual. Two corpses, and the kitchen door completely sealed off—those are both anomalies. Additionally, Room 210, where Old Guo resides, seems suspicious as well. He once warned me about the dangers of the corpses, but if he's the rightful occupant of that room, then the corpses inside shouldn't be able to attack him during the day."

"It's called 'horror story rules' for a reason—no matter what, they must adhere to the rules. Even in exceptional cases, there needs to be a corresponding reason and logic. Yet, I still can't figure out any justification for the exceptions in rooms 204, 205, and 210."

Shinomiya Kaguya remained silent, her expression contemplative. The ticking of the clock grew louder as the oppressive stillness of night encroached upon them.

"What do you think, Shinomiya-san?"

As Takakai spoke his last words, the light outside the window completely disappeared.

"Who knows. Even I can't draw any conclusions without sufficient information. Besides, instead of focusing on things we can't answer, I'm more interested in something else. I'll ask you about it tomorrow."

Kaguya's voice rang out in the darkness, then fell silent again.

An eerie stillness enveloped the room.

Takakai leaned against the wall, quietly waiting for the night to pass.

Not a single sound.

A void of dark silence.

Takakai suddenly recalled a story he once heard: Two people made a bet, in which one had to live in a haunted house for three days. If he succeeded, he would win a large sum of money. So, he moved into the house. Of course, there was no real haunted house—just the other person sneaking in to scare him.

On the first day, the one hiding in the house made all sorts of strange noises, but it didn't scare the man. On the second day, he staged even more frightening "supernatural" events, but still, it had no effect.

By the third day, the one hiding did nothing at all. The house was completely quiet, with nothing unusual happening. In the end, it was the silence that the man couldn't bear, forcing him to flee before completing the bet.

To frighten someone, it doesn't necessarily take grotesque monsters or terrifying sounds.

In truth, just sitting in the dark like this, with limited visibility and absolute silence, is enough to strain one's nerves to the breaking point.

It truly was a grueling night.

Takakai couldn't sleep, nor could he stay calm.

He wondered how Kaguya was doing across from him. Haha, for all I know, maybe she's been replaced by something bizarre and is now standing right in front of me, staring.

Takakai's vivid imagination painted such a scene.

He closed his eyes.

Leaning against the wall, Takakai waited in silence.

Gradually, the chaotic thoughts in his mind seemed to dissipate.

Gradually, he seemed to hear something, see something...

What was it?

That sound... it seemed to echo intensely, repeating after several second...

In a haze, Takakai opened his eyes.

"Let's row together ~ two oars ~"

Was that the voice of children singing in the hallway?

Takakai slowly stood up, turned around, and looked toward the bed beside him.

He saw Kaguya sleeping peacefully on the bed.

He also saw himself, lying on the bed, staring back at him.

His head was crushed in the middle, one side of his body almost completely flattened, his entire form covered in red and white stains.

He saw his own eye, dangling loosely from a shattered skull, and in that eye was the reflection of his mangled body standing in the living room.

"So this is how it is, huh..."

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