Kaguya-sama Wants Me to Surrender

"Train slut, I caught you!"

Amamiya Natsuki gripped the female ghost's wrist and spoke righteously.

"...What did you say?"

The ghost's bloodshot eyes widened in confusion.

"You heard me," Amamiya said, his expression solemn. "Why did you touch me just now?"

"You're a boy—and you're claiming I harassed you?" the ghost replied, stunned.

"What's wrong with being a boy?" Natsuki shot back without hesitation. "Are boys immune to harassment? Are you saying gender equality doesn't matter to ghosts like you?"

"...That's a fair point," Fujiwara Chika nodded subconsciously.

"I had a friend once. He was really cute—like, dangerously cute. A working woman from next door tried to keep him as a pet!"

Amamiya Natsuki's tone grew more righteous.

"Don't try to play innocent. You're the subway nympho that haunts the stations, targeting male high schoolers like a predator in the dark!"

"I didn't! That's slander!" the ghost protested instinctively.

Natsuki's voice was sharp and unforgiving: "Then why, out of all the passengers on this train, you're the one I chose to accuse?"

The ghost: "…"

She slandered others all the time, but being on the receiving end for once felt oddly complicated.

Kitagawa Marin finally snapped out of her daze. She lowered her voice in embarrassment.

"I'm really sorry for doubting that glasses guy earlier... What was his name again?"

The short-haired girl blinked. "I think it was Ann something... Wait, now I've forgotten."

"…"

"Human, aren't you afraid of death?" the ghost spat, her expression twisting into something monstrous.

"Of course I'm afraid." Amamiya's tone dropped to a murmur. "But what I fear more is a world where no one dares speak out when someone's being slandered."

"Malicious accusations and defamation can be even more terrifying than death itself."

"Maybe others won't stand up—but I will."

For some reason, the other ghost passengers in the subway all bowed their heads in silence.

"Natsuki-kun is amazing!" Fujiwara Chika's eyes sparkled.

"What's so amazing?" Amamiya gave her a subtle look. "Come over here, quick."

If it weren't for the system prompt earlier, he wouldn't have wasted so much breath on nonsense.

 Falsely accusing others is a criminal act. Offenders will be listed for special crackdown operations against vice and evil.

"O-okay!"

Fujiwara Chika hurried to his side, putting distance between herself and the ghost.

Surprisingly, the ghost didn't attack. She only stared at them coldly and muttered darkly:

"You'll regret this, human."

"…"

Once they had put space between themselves and the vengeful passengers, the players gathered in a corner of the train.

"That ghost is definitely acting off," Kitagawa said, arms crossed and brows furrowed. "Chika didn't even touch her—why lie?"

Amamiya spoke in a low voice.

"First it was the glasses guy, now it's Fujiwara. The ghost's targets seem to be just the players."

"There must be a reason," the short-haired girl murmured. "Maybe it's part of the hidden gameplay… Could her attacks be linked to how people answer?"

"You mean, if you say the wrong thing, you get dragged off the train when it stops?"

"Eh?!"

Fujiwara Chika instantly panicked. "Then doesn't that mean I'm next?"

She'd said the exact same thing that otaku boy had. If the pattern held, she was next to disappear.

As they spoke, the subway's speed continued to slow—it was clearly approaching another stop.

"Natsuki-san, what should I do?" Chika asked nervously.

Natsuki said nothing. He stepped over to the dead office worker slumped by the door and crouched beside the body, quickly rummaging through the man's briefcase.

Papers, a towel, wallet, keys, a small medicine bottle, half a pack of cigarettes…

"What are you looking for? Need help?" Kitagawa asked as the three girls cautiously gathered around him.

Most people wouldn't dare go near a corpse, but this wasn't the time to hesitate.

"...Found it."

Amamiya held up a metal lighter.

To activate the combo skill Crackdown on Vice and Eliminate Evil, you had to be able to see the target.

Even the faint light from a lighter was enough to provide the necessary visibility.

Chika's eyes lit up. She quickly understood. "So that's what you were looking for! But how did you know he had a lighter?"

"I've read over a thousand chapters of detective manga," Amamiya replied calmly.

Kitagawa smirked. "It's the fingers, right? Heavy smokers always have yellow-stained fingertips. Conan's pulled that one dozens of times."

"Correct." Amamiya gave her an approving nod. "Kitamura Eri, you noticed the critical detail."

"It's Kitagawa Marin!"

"…"

As they spoke, the train slowed further. A deep, unnatural buzzing began to sound.

Then darkness fell once more.

Amamiya acted fast. He struck the lighter and summoned a small flame. Though bluish and cold, it cast just enough light to work with.

"I was worried the flame wouldn't light…" Fujiwara murmured in relief, instinctively pressing closer to Amamiya.

The next moment—

Whoosh.

A breath of cold wind brushed past them.

A chilling presence filled the air, and with a soft flick, the weak flame of the lighter was snuffed out.

Something had blown it out—from inside the subway.

Amamiya's face darkened.

The doors hadn't opened… so how had something gotten inside?

No time to think. He turned and quickly pulled Fujiwara Chika into his arms.

They couldn't afford to let her be taken. If she vanished, there'd be no finding her again.

At the same time, Amamiya silently summoned the guardian spirit sleeping deep in his heart.

Madam Kaguya… it's your turn.

She might not be good in a fight, but surely using her as a human—ghostly—shield wasn't too much to ask.

In the pitch-black car—

Amamiya held the pink-haired girl tightly. He could clearly feel the soft pressure of her chest. She was… even bigger than he'd imagined.

A sweet fragrance lingered in the air—shampoo, milk, fruit, and cake all mixed together. It was oddly comforting.

That old saying was true: girls really are made of sugar and spice and everything nice.

Fujiwara Chika was just as tense. She clung tightly to Amamiya's waist, her hot breath brushing against his neck.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on any of that.

A few moments later—

The subway lights flickered back on.

"...Looks like nothing happened this time?" Kitagawa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Maybe hugging prevents you from being taken?" the short-haired girl guessed. "Or maybe it's because of Natsuki-senpai's answer?"

"I'm just glad you're safe." Amamiya slowly released Fujiwara.

Her breathing was ragged, her hair a little messy, and her cheeks flushed.

But before they could relax—

A pale hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Kitagawa Marin by the wrist.

"You actually touched me?"

Again?! Can't you change your dialogue already?

Kitagawa froze. Realizing she was the new target, she looked at Amamiya, hesitated for a moment, then straightened her back and fought back.

"It was you who touched me, you subway slut!"

The ghost's expression twisted. Tears of blood streamed from her eyes. "You dare accuse me without evidence? That's slander!"

Amamiya Natsuki: "…"

You're really going to throw my own words back at me?

Fine then. Let's finish this.

"What do we do now?" Kitagawa asked, her voice shaking. "She's not following the rules anymore!"

"Who says we don't have evidence?"

At that moment, Amamiya Natsuki stood tall and declared in a booming voice:

"I just saw it with my own eyes—your thighs are covered in tally marks!"

-End Chapter-

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