NCSHG CH 06

Chapter 6

“Can I just leave if I don’t want to?”

It was during a meaningless exchange of glances.

Ding!

[Halloway thinks, “Aren’t there too many people?”]

…Huh?
Why all of a sudden…

[Halloway has decided to take cleaning time!]

The notification window suddenly turned bright red, flashing like a warning light in a chaotic frenzy.

“What… what is this? Why is it doing this?”

Soon, screams came from the first floor, followed by the roar of a monster.

“Kyah!”

“A monster, a mo-monster!”

—Kraaaak!

Boom! Bang!

Even without seeing it, I could tell that the lobby was becoming a complete mess.

The screams of the fleeing party and the sounds of the monster smashing through everything made a deafening racket.

“……?”

I looked at Halloway with a flustered expression.

He had his back to me, facing the opposite hallway, so I couldn’t see his face.

When he lazily turned his head to look at me, there was fear in his eyes.

He had a face that triggered a protective instinct so strongly that no one would guess he was the final boss.

Tears shimmered in the corners of Halloway’s eyes.

“Si-sister… a monster has appeared. Are you going to leave me here alone?”

You were the one who called it…

The monster had appeared far sooner than I expected, and though I was flustered, I decided to first escape from the second floor and look for a place to hide.

“Sis.”

When I didn’t answer, Halloway called again, and reluctantly, I grabbed his small hand.

His tiny hand squirmed in mine.

‘Ah, seriously! Why does he have to look like a child?’

I was too afraid to let go, feeling the warmth from his tiny hand.

If he were an adult, I’d probably kick him and tell him to survive on his own…

But even though it was just an appearance, I couldn’t bring myself to be cruel to a child.

He didn’t seem to intend to let go of me either.

There was no helping it.

Now that a monster had appeared, the safest place was beside Halloway.

Above all, if I left him behind, I had a feeling I’d be taken out myself…

“First, let’s avoid the monster. It’s dangerous.”

“Aren’t you going to help?”

Hearing that come out of his mouth threw me off.

“Do I look like I’m in the position to help anyone? Or to receive help?”

With my body not fully recovered, if I tried to help, I might only get in the way.

And even if I didn’t intervene, by now everyone should be panicking and fleeing. If I tried to “help,” Cletta and Werner might get hurt trying to protect me.

It had happened in the game before.

So instead of saving others, it was better for me to take care of myself.

Especially since it was the beginning of the game, no one should die yet.

…Right?

I’d never seen a monster appear this early, so I was a bit uneasy…

At that moment, Halloway’s lively voice broke my worried thoughts.

“You look like you’re going to die soon!”

You know… just because you say it with a cheerful smile doesn’t mean I’m not upset, you damn devil.

Halloway clearly believed that if he smiled innocently, everyone would assume he was just a child and not suspect anything.

I held Halloway’s hand tightly, suppressing my tears at his eerie words that almost felt prophetic.

Still, the tears wouldn’t stop.

“Sis, are you crying?”

“I’m scared…”

I was scared of the monster you released.

I wiped my eyes with my arm.

There was no time for idle chatter.

If things had changed this much at the start of the game, who knows what else would be different.

It was better to wait two hours until my body fully recovered before doing anything.

There was no truly safe place here, but I decided to go upstairs to distance ourselves from the monster.

“U-uaaah! Sa-save me!”

I ran into Friedel, who was terrified and running up the stairs.

Why is he so fast?!

Seeing me, Friedel opened his arms wide as if to embrace me.

“E-Evelyn-sama!”

Friedel was one of the villains from the original horror game.

He was frustratingly useless but always complained the most.

He would stop at nothing to survive.

In the game, he had repeatedly put Moran in danger and almost got killed by an enraged Cletta.

Now was a dangerous situation, and the fact that he ran toward me meant…

“He wants to use me as bait!”

He could shove Moran away like that while crying!

Just as I was about to grab Halloway’s hand and run the other way…

—Kkyeee…

The monster that Halloway had summoned appeared a few steps ahead.

Its sunken black eyes oozed some unknown fluid.

Its abnormally long limbs and contorted body were grotesque.

Its arms and legs, as if without bones, bent strangely as they supported its weight.

The monster approached slowly with a bizarre gait.

Friedel recoiled at the grotesque sight.

“U-uuaaah!”

Honestly, I wanted to scream like Friedel, but I couldn’t; I forced my hands over my mouth.

I knew how sensitive these hotel monsters were to sound.

In the dark, hearing is generally more acute than vision.

…at least that was the game’s setting.

In other words, I couldn’t scream.

I hesitated, stepping backward carefully.

I couldn’t provoke the monster.

“Si…”

“Shh.”

“Mo-monster…!”

—Gruk!

The monster reacted to Friedel’s voice, snapping its neck with audible cracks.

Friedel jumped and panicked.

“What… what is that thing?!?”

“Please, be quiet! I think it reacts to sound!”

I snapped at Friedel, but he continued yelling regardless.

“Do you understand?! Quiet?! It’s not quiet at all!”

Just a moment ago, he was happy, now he’s losing his temper?

—Kraaaak!

Because Friedel screamed, the monster opened its huge mouth and roared.

Its toothless mouth was pitch black.

It began to rush toward us, wriggling in an indescribable, unnatural way.

Friedel reacted to every movement like a live commentator.

“U-uuaaah!”

Please, that mouth!

I grabbed Halloway’s hand and started running. The monster had already noticed us.

All because of that damn Friedel!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Behind us, the monster’s long, whip-like arms smashed walls to pieces.

Debris rolled under my bare feet, adding more pain—but that wasn’t the main problem.

The monster’s rope-like limbs were the real threat.

If it swung again, it would tear me apart.

I gritted my teeth and ran, but Halloway was too slow, while the monster’s speed was increasing.

It was closing the distance to catch Friedel in no time.

I could feel its terrifying presence right behind me.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Huh?”

Instead of explaining, I put my hand inside Halloway’s arm and lifted him up.

“Sis?”

“Sorry, you were too slow.”

He was heavy, but now we were moving faster. My body wasn’t fully recovered, but I gritted my teeth and kept going.

Friedel glanced back and locked eyes with me.

My uneasy senses crawled up from my feet to my neck.

That bastard…!

I quickly warned him.

“Try it, and see what happens!”

I won’t just stand here!

Even with that warning, Friedel smirked, then forcefully pushed me, who was holding Halloway.

I reflexively hugged Halloway tightly to protect him.

“Ugh!”

“Sis!”

I fell backward, hitting my head on the floor.

Thud!

My vision went dark and my head spun. I couldn’t regain focus.

Friedel screamed like a madman.

“Do you think Friedel Akrotic is going to die here?! Never! I won’t die! Can’t die!”

That insane guy…

“Sis, sis!”

Halloway shook me desperately, and I bit my lip, glaring at Friedel as if to kill him.

“You…!”

“I’d rather live than you! I just became the heir; I can’t die!”

So I’m supposed to die because I’m not the heir?

The monster noticed us, and Friedel, taking advantage of the slowing monster, bolted away.

“That f*cking bastard!”

I cursed, staggering to my feet. There was no time for words.

I had to survive, no matter what.

To survive, I had to leave the final boss behind.

After all, he’s the final boss. That monster won’t die, and he won’t either.

Did Halloway notice my inner conflict?

“Sis!”

Seeing Halloway reach for me tearfully, I couldn’t think of anything.

The monster reached for us, and instinctively, I shielded Halloway and crouched low.

At that moment, he really looked like a child…

I couldn’t believe he was the final boss of this game.

…Damn it! This stupid sympathy will get me killed!

I closed my eyes, bracing for the pain—but nothing happened.

When I peeked, Halloway was smiling, meeting my eyes.

Even in this serious situation, seeing that smooth face, I couldn’t help but curse.

“You kidding me?”

“Pfft!”

Halloway laughed and hugged me tightly.

“No, it’s just… the tension’s gone…”

Too late now.

I peeked to see what was happening.

The monster had gone past us and attacked Friedel.

Was it because of the noise? Or because I was holding the final boss?

I don’t know, but we survived…

Relieved, I steadied my trembling legs and helped Halloway to his feet.

My head was still ringing.

Friedel, the cause of all this, was caught in the monster’s grip, struggling to escape.

Seeing me stand, he desperately pleaded.

“P-please, Evelyn-sama! Save me!”

He was already caught, and I had no weapons.

There was no way to defeat the monster. Friedel had pushed us as bait to escape.

And he expected me, essentially powerless, to help?

“…How?”

I asked blankly, and Friedel, still caught by the monster, looked at me in disbelief.

…No, I really didn’t know.