Why is my Isekai in the Slice of Life anime was become a Horror Story?

Interlude 1-15: A Conflict with Some Corpses and a Hypothesis

Much faster than expected.

To be honest, Takakai really admired the action capabilities of the [Female mask gang].

After discovering their teammate was dead, they killed a surviving player from Shirakawa Apartment the same day, then hired another player to scout out any new players in the player market. It's unclear if they did anything else, but it's easy to imagine that they must have put in quite a bit of effort to search.

He was a little confused.

Were these people really worth going to such lengths for?

Could those vicious killers really be so dedicated to avenging their teammate, even going so far as to find all kinds of ways to take revenge after their teammate died?

Takakai's gaze swept over the woman's face in front of him, which seemed to twitch slightly, as if something was hidden inside.

Malicious intent was spreading.

This was the first time Takakai could visually feel the power that the blessing from the little girl brought to him.

Even without speaking, he could directly confirm that the woman in front of him would kill him. Whether or not he was the [new player who cleared the Shirakawa apartment dungeon], she would certainly kill him.

And because he understood this, Takakai had kept an antagonistic attitude from the start, responding firmly with "Guess" to her question. He knew that his opponent absolutely wouldn't let him go.

"This tone, this attitude, is quite rare for a newbie. You really are the one who came from Shirakawa apartment, huh?"

In response to Takakai's answer, the woman simply smiled lightly, appearing quite pleased.

"Could you tell me the name of the old player who helped you clear the Shirakawa apartment dungeon? I'm sure I won't make things difficult for you. Maybe we could even spend a fun night together, how about it~?"

As the woman spoke, she chuckled softly and cast a seductive glance, although the skin on her face twitched slightly, as if a scorpion was crawling underneath.

"Before you say such things, can you look in the mirror and see the ugly face of yours? My tastes haven't degenerated to the point where I could tolerate something as cheap as you."

"Oh, so you can see my true appearance. Looks like you're quite mentally tough."

This time, the woman seemed a little surprised, her expression somewhat awkward.

Only when the woman revealed this attitude did Takakai vaguely realize that something was influencing his thoughts. However, the effect was very subtle, so subtle that not only was Takakai unaffected, but it was also hard for him to recognize its origin.

Soon after, the woman's figure vanished from in front of Takakai.

They had been talking normally just a moment ago, but in an instant, with a cold rush, a deadly attack was closing in on Takakai.

Boom!

While Fujiwara Chika in the noodle shop stood up in confusion to open the door, she heard a loud explosion, then saw a figure slam into the door, quickly get up, and a horrified scream from a woman echoed from outside.

"Ehh ehh, what's going on?"

The young girl had no idea what was happening.

....

Takakai, in the alley, was hanging suspended in the air by a severed head balloon, smiling. The face on the head slowly transformed into Takakai's own features.

"I told you, as long as you obediently tell me the name of the old player who led you through the dungeon, I wouldn't harm you. Why did you have to break my heart like this?"

The woman stood in the alley, giggling as she watched Takakai hanging in the air.

Takakai, struggling for breath, could only weakly raise his hand and raised his middle finger to the woman.

"You ungrateful piece of crap, maybe I should cut off your 'little buddy' first, then slowly slice your stomach open bit by bit."

The woman's face at this moment became even more distorted.

She took a small, bloodstained pair of scissors from her jacket pocket, seemingly preparing to do something.

But before she could actually act, a strong hand reached out from behind, grabbing her shoulder.

[Rescue operation beginning, please refrain from acting rashly.]

A cold voice sounded from behind.

"Rescue? Do you have a badge? Wait, no, the dungeon has been destroyed. Why hasn't the Obsession inside lost its effect?!"

Moreover, given the mental intrusion of that badge, even players with strong wills, at the moment they could summon the rescue team, would have already lost themselves and would be dragged back into Shirakawa Apartment with uncontrollable Obsession. How could this—

There was no more time for the woman to think.

She was abruptly yanked and spun around, immediately receiving a punch to the face.

Crack!

The first punch shattered her nose and cracked her cheekbones.

It seemed that because of the Obsession [replaces flesh and blood], the woman's head was much weaker than that of an ordinary person, and this punch nearly caved in her face. Dark red blood splattered everywhere, looking terrifying.

Takakai, now wearing the rescue team uniform, had freed himself from the severed head balloon, looking up at the ball quickly rising higher into the air before disappearing into the sky. He couldn't help but feel regret for not taking the Obsession with him. But he quickly sprang into action, charging toward the woman, drawing his surgical knife, and stabbing it forcefully into the back of her head, instantly piercing her brain.

Player-on-player fights usually start and end very quickly. This is because Obsession, when it targets a player, once activated, causes most players to either die immediately or fall into an inescapable state. An Obsession like the rescue team badge that enhances a player's physical strength and repels other strange forces is very rare, and its side effects are massive. If Takakai had been carrying a different Obsession, he would already have been hanged by the severed head balloon by now.

At this moment, the power of the Obsession he displayed had far exceeded what his opponent had anticipated, and the price to pay was that this woman would die here.

However, it seemed it wasn't over just yet.

Takakai saw the woman whose head he had pierced suddenly become blurry and gradually fade away. Before completely disappearing, she transformed into the form of a businesswoman, looking like she was on her way home from work, appearing very tired.

He understood what was happening.

Before coming here, the woman had killed an unsuspecting woman on the street, activating the Obsession effect to steal that person's existence. So at this moment, the woman she had killed had replaced her, becoming the one whose head Takakai had pierced.

"How did you get that surgical knife?! Did Mito die by your hands? You're not a newbie, are you? My sweet little girl died at your hands?!"

The woman reappeared in the alley nearby, glaring at Takakai and shouting.

[Rescue operation has begun.]

The figure in the rescue team uniform quickly advanced beside Takakai.

The woman, now gritting her teeth, charged toward the rescue team without fear, then vanished without a trace, reappearing before Takakai and aiming the small scissors at his neck.

If those scissors hit, it seemed something very unpleasant would happen.

Though Takakai was currently wearing the rescue team badge, he instinctively felt that if this woman landed a blow, something very bad could happen soon after.

He took a step back.

Takakai leaned to the side, preparing to dodge the attack.

A dark, decayed hand suddenly reached out from behind him, grabbing the badge and pulling it down forcefully.

The physical enhancement from the badge vanished instantly.

Takakai turned his head lightly to look back, seeing a woman leaning against the wall, holding a black paper umbrella.

She was another member of the [Female Mask Gang], one who had never appeared before, always hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.

The black umbrella seemed to be able to conceal the traces of its wielder, which was why she was able to silently enter the alley. The dark, decaying hand extended from behind her, seemingly growing directly from her body.

Glancing forward for a moment, Takakai saw the triumphant expression on the woman's face, as if telling him, "Didn't expect it, huh? There are two of us."

Whoosh——

A flowerpot was pushed out of a window by a red doll, falling straight onto the head of the woman holding the umbrella, who stood near the wall.

As for Takakai, in the next moment, he moved with speed far beyond human limits, swiftly dodging the scissors in the woman's hand. She stared at him, her eyes wide open, and quickly acted, but she realized that her speed and reflexes couldn't match Takakai's. He easily evaded her attack, then delivered a strong kick to her leg, causing her to kneel to the ground. Before she could get up, the surgical knife was swung down, instantly severing the hand that held the scissors.

"No, my——"

The woman screamed not due to her injury, but because of the woman with the umbrella who had fainted nearby. Takakai didn't give her the chance to speak further. As soon as she opened her mouth, the surgical knife pierced the back of her head. He quickly grabbed her severed arm, taking the bloodstained scissors.

Withdrawing the surgical knife, he delivered a powerful kick, sending her flying.

Takakai didn't approach to loot, as the woman's face had begun to change violently, as if something hidden beneath her skin had been triggered.

He simply turned around and quickly approached the unconscious woman by the wall. It seemed that the Obsession [Replacing Flesh and Blood], despite its horrific consequences and granting a second life, could not activate while someone was unconscious.

He took the black umbrella.

He retrieved his own rescue team badge.

The severed arm growing from the woman's back made Takakai hesitate for a moment, but he eventually chopped it off, deciding that he would try to sell it in a few days.

After searching for a while and finding no more Obsessions, he made a swift incision at her temple, causing the woman's brain to spin in disorientation.

The illusion faded, revealing that the woman had killed a high school girl on her way home and usurped her existence. The woman who appeared afterward had just opened her eyes, only to be struck by Takakai again in the forehead. He withdrew his knife and walked away, leaving the Obsession made from uncontrolled flesh and blood to disappear with the death of its host.

When Takakai returned to the ramen shop, the two women were gone.

It seemed that the loss of control over the Obsession wasn't as terrifying as imagined. The flesh and blood slowly oozed from their faces, as if squeezing pimples, flowing out of their eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, consuming their bodies before vanishing.

But perhaps this was also related to Takakai killing them and quickly leaving, not lingering to witness the scene.

From the very beginning, he had known there were two of them, and the blessing of the little girl had helped him discover that.

Takakai walked over to the alley, reaching out to catch the tattered doll, that once belonged to Fake-Maeda Miwa. When he was trapped by the human-headed balloon, he had secretly thrown it away. He sighed in relief, feeling lucky that he had been able to deal with both of the players.

Taking out his phone, he called Maki.

Before the call was connected, Takakai leaned against the wall and took a deep breath, his heartbeat finally settling down.

The direct combat ability of the [Female Mask Gang] didn't seem very strong, and their Obsessions were nothing special, unlike Old Guo's with all kinds of tricks. Takakai guessed that the strength of this group of players was only average, and it was their gathering and somewhat perverse style that made them unpopular and feared.

However, the way they treated each other seemed like a real family, full of love.

Takakai recalled the expression and tone of the woman who had just directly confronted him, feeling that something was off.

Perhaps it was the Obsession itself, [Replacing Flesh and Blood], that had brought them closer, making them see each other as family? If that was the case, it could explain the irrational, thoughtless act of revenge. The more he thought about it, the more unsettling the Obsession made him feel.

Moreover, if this was true, could there be other Obsessions that had effects like "replacing someone without anyone noticing," or even completely transforming a person into someone else, with that person and everyone around them unaware?

Beep—

The phone connected.

Takakai quickly answered the call, immediately hearing a girl's voice.

"Are you alright?"

This line was said simultaneously by Takakai and Maki.

"I'm fine, there were two people here, they're dealt with. How about you?"

Takakai sighed in relief and slowly explained his situation.

"I've got two as well, they caused a lot of damage, but... they're taken care of."

Maki tried to keep her voice calm, but if she didn't, it would shake.

At that moment, in front of her, the living room was in chaos, with the sofa overturned, tables and chairs shattered, and blood scattered everywhere.

As for the two members of the [Female Mask Gang] who had intruded, one had been devoured by the [Faceless Head], leaving only part of the body, while the other was leaning against a nearby wall, with a kitchen knife stuck in her head.

There was also a couple huddling in a corner of the room, their expressions frozen in shock, watching as their daughter fought against the two strange women in their home, like a scene from a B-rank horror movie.

"I'll come over to find you, be careful."

Takakai hung up, immediately contacted Kaguya, and quickly ran out of the alley, hailing a taxi.

He looked up, gazing at the dark sky under the night lights.

Takakai couldn't help but sigh internally, feeling like tonight would be a difficult night to sleep through.

Come to think of it, wasn't there something he had forgotten?

When Takakai had left the alley, it was clear that he no longer heard the sound of yelling on the ramen shop door.