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

Chapter 9: Knock-knock-knock

"Takakai, why aren't you answering?"

The sound from outside continued, relentless and steady.

It was as if the earlier silence had been an illusion, like the eerie stillness in the hallway after the terrifying footsteps had never existed.

Knock-knock-knock.

The knocking persisted with a rhythmic, unchanging cadence.

The three inside the room stood silently, their breaths held, as if even the faintest sound might draw attention.

What the hell is going on?

When the sounds outside had completely vanished earlier, none of them could be sure what had transpired. However, Takakai, Kaguya, and Maki had all mentally prepared themselves for the possibility that everyone in the hallway was already dead. Especially after Takakai and Maki had seen the frozen corpse in the fridge, that grim idea seemed almost certain.

And yet now, voices had returned.

Why now?

There had been no sounds for an extended period—no signs of life, no indication that anyone was even there. Could it all have been a misunderstanding? Was there no death or paranormal event at all? Perhaps the footsteps earlier had merely masked the sounds of the others outside, rendering them inaudible?

"Come on, nothing happened out here. Stop hiding."

"Yeah, we've been knocking for ages, ever since you guys went inside. Why aren't you answering?"

"This is ridiculous. You suddenly disappear, and for what? Clearly, nothing's wrong."

The voices of the three people outside continued.

Accompanying their words was the relentless knocking.

Knock-knock-knock.

The knocking seemed like it would never waver, never cease, always steady and consistent.

Should we respond to them?

No. No, they couldn't act rashly. Too many things didn't add up.

As this thought crossed his mind, Takakai immediately dismissed any notion of replying.

If it were truly safe outside, the burly white man and Old Guo wouldn't have remained inactive. At the very least, Old Guo, who had presented himself as an "experienced player" from the beginning, wouldn't have stayed silent. He should have been one of the voices outside the door.

But the strangest thing was that only three people—the ones who had been in the hallway earlier—were speaking and knocking. This inconsistency was glaring.

"Old Guo, for some reason, won't open the door or say anything to us. Same with that white guy. We had no choice but to knock on your door."

"That's right. Open up, at least say something! What's so fun about standing silently inside your apartment?"

"Seriously, nothing's happening out here. We all live in this apartment building; if there's an issue, we should just talk it out."

Knock-knock-knock.

Knock-knock-knock.

The knocking and voices continued unabated.

Somehow, the people outside seemed infinitely patient. Even without any response from within, they showed no signs of giving up, persistently knocking.

Takakai remained silent.

Kaguya and Maki, standing beside him, had no intention of approaching the door either.

On the contrary, as if by unspoken agreement, all three of them took a few steps back, increasing the distance between themselves and the door.

"Do you really need to be on guard against us to this extent?"

"Why are you backing away? Come out and talk; everything can be resolved."

"We're neighbors, aren't we? What's so hard about facing each other openly and clearing things up?"

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

The knocking grew louder.

It sounded like someone was pounding on the door with their fist.

The force wasn't great, but the impatience was becoming clear.

Something was off.

Something was definitely very strange.

Takakai rubbed his head, feeling a sudden haze clouding his mind. He almost wanted to respond to the voices outside, but instinct made him press his lips tightly together, refusing to utter a word.

He couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

He simply stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the door.

"What's wrong? This isn't the first time you've seen us."

Sun Dajun's voice, tinged with irritation, echoed alongside the knocking.

That's right, so what exactly was wrong?

Takakai wondered to himself.

"What's with you? Or are you just racist?"

The young Black man spoke, his voice carrying a hint of displeasure.

And yet, Takakai still felt he shouldn't engage.

He was certain there was something wrong in this situation.

"Please, come out, open the door. There's really nothing unusual about us."

The blonde-haired woman pleaded helplessly, as the knocking continued.

Why do you keep emphasizing that there's nothing wrong with you?

Takakai wanted to ask that question so badly.

"Because there really isn't anything wrong with us."

Then why aren't you knocking on someone else's door? Why just ours?

"We already did. They didn't open. What else can we do?"

Then I won't open my door either.

"Why? Is this how you treat your neighbors? Just open the door; we can discuss whatever it is."

Discuss what? We don't even know each other. What could we possibly have to talk about?

"That's not right. We're all neighbors, aren't we? Neighbors should care for and help each other. Everyone says so. Don't believe us? Ask someone else."

I don't want to talk to you. Go away.

"Don't be like that. We're all living in the same place; we should get along. Open the door."

I already said I don't want to talk to you. I won't open the door.

"Open the door, open the door, open the door."

I told you, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to… talk?

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head, snapping him out of a dazed sleep.

Takakai suddenly felt wide awake.

Talk?

Talk about what?!

He hadn't spoken a single word since this began!

These freaks… could they read his thoughts? Were they communicating directly with his mind?

What the hell was standing outside that door?!

Takakai turned his head to the side. Maki was still standing in place, while Kaguya had unconsciously stepped forward. The expressions on their faces alternated between serious and bewildered, as if they were talking to someone—though neither of them had uttered a word.

"Open the door, open the door, open the door."

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK

The knocking, along with the voices of the three outside, grew heavier and more oppressive.

Slap!

Takakai reached out, firmly slapping the shoulders of Maki and Kaguya. Both froze for a moment before quickly snapping out of their daze, suddenly realizing how strange their behavior had been without them noticing.

"Open the door."

BAM!

A heavy thud struck the door, causing the floor to tremble slightly.

Takakai took a step back, retreating to the far corner of the hallway, nearly out of sight of the door.

"Open the door."

BAM!!

The second impact was so violent, it felt like a small earthquake.

Takakai lost his balance and fell to the floor.

Maki braced herself against the wall to avoid falling, while Kaguya remained steady, immediately helping Maki up. Both retreated further back. Kaguya still clutched the wall clock she had taken from the hallway earlier.

"Open the door."

BAM—!!!

The third strike thundered through the room, so intense it sent all three sprawling to the ground.

"Open the door."

"Open the door."

"Open the door."

The voices outside began to repeat incessantly.

The tightly shut door now shook violently. Cracks began to form along the door frame.

The voices of the three outside had merged, blending into a single, cold, emotionless, mechanical sound that repeated over and over:

"OPEN THE DOOR!"

Outside, all three voices screamed in unison as they slammed against the door with all their strength.

"OPEN THE DOOR!!"

The doorframe started to warp, and the once-sturdy metal door began to bulge with strange, unnatural marks.

Takakai forced himself up, one hand bracing against the wall, the other supporting a trembling Maki as they retreated further back.

Kaguya, slightly ahead of them, crouched slightly to steady herself against the violent tremors inside the room. She prepared to step back as well.

BAM-!!!

Another heavy strike resounded.

But this time, the sound caused all three in the hallway to freeze simultaneously.

"Open the door."

The unified voice of the three outside echoed again.

But this time, it didn't come from the front door.

Instead, it came from behind them—from the wooden door leading into the living room.

Creak—crack—

The flimsy wooden door groaned as it began to splinter.

"Open the door."

And the perfectly overlapping voices of the three, now inside the living room, echoed alongside the sound of the wooden door breaking.