Kai had a dream.
He was the harem emperor of a daily-life fanfic, casually winning over hundreds of anime girls. A new one every day, and he still couldn't finish the rotation in a year.
No one could challenge him. He had a god-tier sign-in system that granted supreme power and fortune daily. The system itself could even turn into various waifus—white-haired lolis, black-stocking onee-sans, voluptuous bombshells—everything imaginable.
His life was pure pleasure. He soared, fainted, dreamed again, and kept soaring.
Ah… what a life…
Then the dream ended.
That decadent fantasy disappeared like smoke, leaving nothing behind.
In its place came a cold, damp sensation—like being sealed in a bomb shelter.
What's going on?
Before opening his eyes, Kai smelled mildew. Or rather, a rotten wood scent mixed with dust—the kind found in long-abandoned houses.
Where the hell am I?
He opened his eyes.
Unfamiliar ceiling.
White walls covered in cracks. Exposed wires pinned directly to a dusty hanging bulb—an old-fashioned incandescent light, now so dirty the interior wasn't visible. Probably broken.
Two windows were boarded up and covered with white cloth, nailed down so no one could see through. Only a bit of daylight filtered in.
Moving his gaze, he saw the wallpaper was mostly peeled off, revealing the brick underneath. A small round table sat in the room with two wooden stools—one broken. A pot of dead flowers sat on the table.
By the kitchen entrance, there was no door, only a frame. Inside, he saw a sink filled with dusty dishes.
Next to the bed was a nightstand. On it lay a single sheet of clean A4 paper, covered in text. It was the only clean thing in the room.
The place looked like an abandoned rental apartment.
Why was he here?
Kidnapping?
No, that's not right. At the moment when his memory cut off, there were no signs of a struggle or attack.
Besides, there was clearly someone else nearby.
Takashina Kai could hear breathing. He could even smell the faint scent of a woman's shampoo.
A woman was lying next to him, on the same bed, in a room that looked like it had completely fallen apart.
The rhythm of her breathing had changed the moment he turned to survey the room. She was probably pretending to be asleep.
A honey trap?
Wait, would anyone really go as far as kidnapping someone from their home just for a setup like that? That's definitely not normal.
Either way, he needed to get up and assess the situation. If this was a honey trap, then he'd have to face off against her in a dark duel. He heard that's how big boys in Japan deal with radical feminists. He figured that kind of experience might be worth learning from.
Bzzzz—
But before Kai could move, a piercing screech, like nails scraping a chalkboard, rang out in his mind.
In an instant, he lost all control of his body. It was as if he'd frozen in place. All he could do was endure that sound rattling through his skull.
Bzzzz—
The sound was sharp enough to make him want to scream, and it went on for over ten seconds before gradually fading.
Then came a distorted voice, its gender indiscernible. Just hearing it was enough to send chills through him.
[Welcome to the Sacrifice Game.]
The first line sounded oddly familiar, like he'd just heard it a moment ago.
[Player Takashina Kai, this is your first game. Game difficulty: Dusk.]
[Your objective is: Escape from Shirakawa Apartments.]
[You have seven days to complete the game.]
[Here are your clues. Use them wisely.]
[Clue 1: Salvation lies hidden in the messages left behind.]
[Clue 2: The door reopened leads to hope.]
[Clue 3: Treasures hidden in dust bring happiness.]
[Clue 4: Secrets are hidden in the place you absolutely must not go.]
[Clue delivery complete. We hope this game brings you closer to the throne that witnesses the end.]
The whole message took less than a minute.
As soon as it ended, the eerie voice vanished, and the stiffness in his body faded. Kai regained control over himself.
"Holy… crap…"
He suddenly rolled off the bed, grabbing an A4 sheet of paper from the nightstand mid-air and stuffing it into his pocket before hitting the floor and scrambling back to his feet.
Now he was certain—he'd been dragged into some sort of supernatural event. And probably a deadly one.
Wait, hold on. This isn't right.
Wasn't he supposed to have been isekai'd into a casual anime crossover world?
What's with this sudden death game twist? This makes no sense! Can I return my ticket? Can I quit this role? This story's already gone way beyond my limits!
Why can't we just stick to the standard fanservice harem routine?
Despite the internal complaints, Kai had already gotten to his feet. He stayed away from the broken door and the kitchen, keeping his distance while keeping his eyes locked on the bed in the corner of the room.
There, a girl with long black hair and cold, scrutinizing eyes had just sat up.
Red eyes.
Slightly petite frame.
Wearing a black long-sleeved dress with white cuffs and a red neck ribbon.
This look—and that expression like she was staring at garbage—immediately triggered something in Kai's DNA.
Wasn't this... wasn't this that photographer—no, wait, wasn't this the Ice Kaguya? This had to be Shinomiya Kaguya, during the Ice Princess era before she changed because of the student council president.
What the hell kind of story had his isekai become?!
At this point, Kai genuinely couldn't figure out what genre of protagonist he was supposed to be playing.