落とし穴１５０堀：夏の怪談リバイバル 廃旅館の正体 (Part2)
"Well, I can understand that sentiment, but it’s too early to make a move like that. First, we should look for weapons or a way to escape this place."
"Understood. You're right, it's not like that's the only thing going on. Actually, now that I think about it, was that woman in the red dress we saw earlier the one you mentioned seeing before, Taiki?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, she does look similar..."
"Hmm. Should we chase after the lady in red? Or is it a trap?"
Reminded by Yuki, I recalled that Taiki had indeed mentioned seeing such a woman. Not just here, but even before we arrived at this inn. He’d seen her in the commercial district, in the forest on the way here, and now here. There was no proof it was the same person, and one could argue it was unrelated, but something about it nagged at me. Still, it felt almost too obvious.
"What do you think?"
"Hard to say; we don't have enough information to judge right now. I suppose having a target is better than searching blindly, but if it's a trap, that’s a hassle. Then again, we also have the option of tying up that axe-wielder."
"No, no, if it's between the axe-wielder and the woman, the woman is the better choice. There's no reason to go out of our way to pick a fight with someone dangerous."
"It's the opposite. The immediate danger is the axe-wielder. Don't you think neutralizing him would ensure our safety moving forward?"
"Ah, I see your point... wait, Yuki, you're being awfully aggressive, aren't you? Usually, you're the type to prioritize survival."
"Ah, you're right. Is there a reason for that?"
As Taiki said, Yuki’s current demeanor was strangely aggressive. It wasn't like him at all.
"Eh? No, it's just that playing it safe feels like exactly what Luna wants us to do. Besides, what I said to Taiki is the truth. Eliminating high-threat targets is the most important step in ensuring safety. Whether we can actually do it is another matter, of course."
"True enough. We have three men here, and we're all fairly experienced. The opponent only has an axe... well, there's the danger that they might be a ghost or some kind of yokai, but if we start worrying about that, there's no end to it."
"Well, that's true. Searching rooms while constantly worrying about what's behind us is a pain."
"Exactly. So, we should strike. We just need to neutralize the axe."
"I mean, you say that like it's easy..."
"Ah, it’s not that difficult."
"Eh!?"
"Well, the plan is this..."
And so, while explaining it to Taiki, we formulated a plan to capture the axe-wielder. Though, it wasn't much of a plan. The three of us would hide in the room, wait for the man to pass by, and then ambush him. We would disarm the axe and bind the man to capture him.
"There aren't many plans that involve trying to capture a ghost in a horror setting..."
"Usually, in a horror game, that's a death flag. Getting counter-attacked is the standard trope."
"Even so, it's tough to gather information while constantly worrying about a threat. Luna might add more enemies, and there's no guarantee that he's the only one."
"It'll be too late once we're surrounded without any countermeasures, so it's important to see if he's an opponent we can handle while he's alone, right?"
"That's true."
Exactly. If we can capture the axe-wielder, great. Even if we can't, learning his capabilities would be a huge victory. It’s dangerous, yes, but I judged that creating a situation where we can ensure some level of safety is to our benefit.
*Creak, creak...*
*Scrape, scraaaaape...*
While we were talking, we heard the axe-wielder approaching again.
"..."
We held our breath, waiting for him to pass...
*CRASH!!*
*THUD!!*
Without waiting, we slammed the door open, using the momentum to strike, and when we stepped out into the hallway...
"Guhhh..."
There lay the axe-wielder, face-down, perhaps having taken a direct hit to the face. Before he could get up, I shouted:
"Alright, grab the axe and roll him up in that tattered futon!"
"Yeah!!"
And just like that, we succeeded in capturing the man who might hold the information we need. Now, let's hope he has something useful to say...
"Uga-uo-auaa..."
Doesn't look like we'll get much out of him.
An inn where a tragedy once occurred. A mysterious newspaper that shouldn't exist. And a blood-soaked resident. How will Yuki and the others escape from this "Shizuoka"?!
Oh, for those who don't understand the meaning of "Shizuoka," try reading it in English.