For a moment, Takakai nearly leapt out of his seat.
The psychological scars Alice had left from the first three loops of [Fujika Middle School] were deep—rivaling even the month-long torment of [Nutty Putty Cave]. The fact that she'd reappeared after being sealed was beyond infuriating.
But soon, he realized:
This was different.
No aura.
No presence at all.
This Alice wasn't real.
Just an illusion—a phantom conjured from his own mind.
"A curse…?"
Takakai exhaled sharply. His enhanced perception had already pieced it together.
Understanding a core obsession's backstory was always dangerous. That knowledge came with contamination—either marking you for the next loop or worse.
Hirano Sousuke's obsession was no exception.
The danger wasn't from Hirano himself, but from inheriting his suffering.
The deeper you dug into his past, the more you became like him.
"So after killing Alice, Hirano was left with her eternally stuck in his head? Yeah, not funny."
This Alice wasn't like the others.
She wasn't a mononoke.
She was Takakai's Alice—a mental construct born from his memories of the previous loops.
A curse, forcibly partitioning part of his brain to host her.
And if left unchecked?
She'd rewrite his cognition.
[Hehe~ Sensei really hates me, doesn't he? Even though Alice just wants to be friends!]
The golden-haired girl materialized beside him, giggling.
Takakai ignored her.
Instead, he turned to the courtroom doors.
Miko and Kumami sat in the audience seats, their expressions dazed—likely having seen their own visions.
[Takakai: What did you see?]
He opted for the mental link.
[Miko: Two trials… One for Hirano, one for the victims.]
[Kumami: Just one. Hirano's sentencing—death penalty. But it was never carried out, was it? Fujii had connections. I'm guessing the experiments continued even after Fujika's collapse.]
Their answers diverged.
Miko, despite her superior perception, had seen less than Takakai.
Kumami, though only witnessing Hirano's trial, had deduced far more.
But why the discrepancy?
[Do you know why, Sensei?]
Alice's voice dripped with mock curiosity.
He did.
Identity.
Each dungeon loop granted him a hidden role.
This time?
He was the teacher—the one who'd saved Hirano, then vanished.
Hirano's obsession didn't recognize him physically, but the role still granted access to memories others couldn't see.
As for Alice's persistent [Sensei] taunts?
Maybe she sensed the hidden identity too.
[Sensei's so lucky~]
Alice twirled around him, her laughter setting his teeth on edge.
[No financial struggles. Inherited a villa. Got that nifty black watch. Even dungeon perks others can't access!]
Being born from his memories, this Alice knew his past.
But she seemed unaware he was a transmigrator—otherwise, she'd have weaponized it.
Best not dwell on that.
Focus on the plan.
[Maki: Oba-sama agreed. The Shinomiya family will mobilize to gather case files from decades ago. But even expedited, a public retrial will take over a month.]
[Maki: What's your actual plan, Kai?]
[Takakai: We don't need a real retrial. Just a performance—one that Hirano witnesses. The public unveiling can come later.]
[Takakai: The key is ensuring the broadcast penetrates the dungeon. We need it playing inside Fujika Middle School.]
[Kumami: So… a courtroom drama just for Hirano?]
[Maki: Would that even work?]
[Takakai: Hire a real judge. A proper jury. Recreate everything flawlessly. And after? We force it into the public eye. We prove we'll make it right. That's what he needs to see.]
[Takakai: And if that's not enough? Well, we can always execute a few politicians for dramatic effect.]
[Maki: Kai. Fujiwara-san looks pissed.]
[Takakai: Cough. Excluding the Fujiwara clan, of course. I'd never harm my future father-in-law.]
[Kumami: I'll handle the casting. Nanami, patch in Aoyama.]
What followed stunned Takakai.
One call.
Then another.
Soon, players—high-level ones—were mobilizing.
"Kumami's alive?!"
"A reenactment to break a Crimson Moon core? Bold. I'm in."
"My artifact can materialize mental constructs. Essential for this. Of course I'll join."
Ding after ding, voice after voice—Crimson Moon veterans pledged support.
Even after months missing in [School Horror Tales], Kumami's influence held.
"Hah. Still got some pull, huh?"
She smirked, descending from the audience seats.
Takakai could only stare.
"I… underestimated you. This is insane."
A gathering of elite players—all to stage a fake trial.
The path forward had never been clearer.