Chapter 133: The Seventeenth Star of Sae

"I think I heard Yuriko scream! It sounded like it came from right above us!"

At that moment, Fujita, Takagi, Kuai, Kizami, and Miyuki were walking near the infirmary of Heavenly Host Elementary School. Fujita had just heard what sounded like Yuriko’s scream from the floor above and quickly alerted those around him.

"Is that your friend?" Miyuki asked.

"She’s a classmate and companion who came here with us," Kuai replied.

"Then let’s go together!" Miyuki said, glancing at Kizami. "In our current situation, it’s safer for everyone to stay together. If we encounter any danger, we can look out for one another."

"I agree," Kizami said with a gentle smile, looking as friendly as an older brother.

"Of course," Takagi added. "Once we find our companions, we’ll help you find yours as well. Please, trust us!"

"Among our group, we have two Onmyoji—one from Tokyo and one from out of town. If we can find them, we’ll certainly be able to resolve this," Kuai said with great confidence.

"We should hurry up and check, maybe Yuriko is still on the floor above," Fujita said anxiously, worried for his friend.

"Everyone must die... everyone must die..."

Suddenly, behind the group, a small, resentful girl wrapped in a red aura appeared, brandishing a pair of scissors.

"Aaaah!"

The group spun around, and upon seeing the red, vengeful spirit, they shrieked in terror and scattered in all directions.

"Death is merely a process. You can only learn to enjoy it or suffer through it."

"No matter where you run, your souls will eventually be left here. Struggle, run away—it is all in vain. Hehehehe... I will keep all of you in this place forever. You can never leave!" A shrill, chilling laughter echoed from behind them, making their blood run cold.

After about ten minutes of frantic running, the group dived into a classroom and collapsed, gasping for air.

"Damn it, that thing from just now... it couldn't have been the legendary Sachiko, could it?" Kuai asked, still trembling with fear.

"Wait a moment," Miyuki said worriedly. "If we all hide here, what will we do if Sachiko comes straight for us?"

"This is so frustrating. We can’t find the others, and we can’t find a way out. Are we really going to be trapped here until we die?" Fujita grumbled.

"Don't worry. As long as we stay calm, there will be a way," Takagi said, looking composed. As a student athlete, he appeared more level-headed than the others when facing emergencies.

"Takagi-kun is so calm in the face of this crisis," Kuai remarked in admiration.

Meanwhile, Kizami was observing the surroundings. It appeared to be a storage room for miscellaneous items. Suddenly, he volunteered, "I’ll go outside and keep watch. If that thing comes back, I’ll let you know immediately."

"That’s too dangerous, Kizami-kun!" Miyuki said, concerned.

"It’s fine. As a man, I should be the one protecting the girls," Kizami replied with righteous conviction.

"I’ll go with you," Takagi offered. "That way, we can look out for each other."

"Then I’m counting on you, Kizami-kun, Takagi-kun," Kuai said, bowing in gratitude.

"Don't worry, I will keep you safe," Kizami said before stepping out of the room with Takagi.

"I hope that spirit, Sachiko, doesn't follow us here," Kuai prayed, clasping her hands together.

Suddenly, Miyuki noticed a withered, skeletal hand near a storage box. "What is that?" she whispered. She walked over to the box and, upon closer inspection, realized it was a long-dried corpse lying on the floor.

"Ah!" Miyuki screamed.

"What’s wrong?" Fujita and Kuai rushed over. They were both shocked by the sight of the body.

"Is this a student from another school who died here?" Fujita asked, summoning the courage to lean in for a closer look.

"The name tag says 'Mikako, Class 2, Shunyo High School'," Fujita read aloud.

"That... that looks like my classmate. How did this happen?" Miyuki stared at the corpse of her friend, Mikako. There were several wounds on the body that looked like knife slashes—clearly man-made.

The group then noticed a note tightly gripped in Mikako’s hand, which was easy to miss if one didn't look closely.

"Mikako seems to be holding something," Miyuki said, swallowing hard. She slowly reached out her right hand and pulled the note from Mikako’s grasp. It contained the following entries:

*Day 1 in Sachiko’s space:*
My name is Mikako. My friends and I played the "Sachiko Ever After" game and accidentally fell into this space. Everyone else got separated, but fortunately, my classmate Kizami woke up next to me, which gave me a sense of security. Kizami and I are searching for the others together.

*Day 2 in Sachiko’s space:*
After searching with Kizami, we discovered that this space is composed of Sachiko’s resentment. It seems students from other schools have fallen into this space too. I really want to go home; how can we get out? But with Kizami here, I feel much more at ease.

*Day 3 in Sachiko’s space:*
Today, we actually ran into our companion, Kawano Yoshiko. Now, only Miyuki is left to be found. It’s so great to have met two of our classmates, but Kizami seems to be acting a bit strange. He seems very interested in this space, especially the unrecognizable pieces of flesh scattered on the ground. He even uses his phone to record those horrific scenes. Although it’s a bit disgusting, I still feel safer being with a rational guy like Kizami.

*Day 4 in Sachiko’s space:*
Kizami has truly lost his mind. He killed Yoshiko and even used his phone to take pictures of her corpse. He seems to really enjoy this feeling—he really loves... corpses. Oh no, he’s spotted me. I have to run.

*Day 5 in Sachiko’s space:*
He’s coming. He’s coming. I’m hiding in the bathroom right now, but I can hear his footsteps; he’s coming up. If anyone finds this diary, please tell the others to be careful of this man. This man...!

The writing ended abruptly there.

"Kizami?"