"Mreowr!" Gin yowled in shock.'Was there somebody behind me!? Why did the door close!?'He ran up to the door, slamming his mittens against it. They didn't make too much of a racket, embarrassingly. "Help, meow! Hat Lady! Muscle Gorillaaaa!"

Sensing that his efforts were futile, Gin turned back around to the dark room. He gulped. "C-cat vision, activate, meow…!"

The room was small, with purple paint on the walls. A pervasive trickling echoed throughout. There was a bookcase and a window with an unlit candle resting upon its sill on the left side of the room. A strange crack spread from behind the bookcase across the length of the ceiling. A grandfather clock stood next to the bookcase. 'Why are its hands missing? What's the point of even having it here!?'

On the right was a shelf with a glass bottle, too high for Gin to reach. A desk rested underneath it, with a chest laid upon it. There was also a massive teddy bear sitting underneath a painting of a fedora-clad figure.

'This place gives me the creeps! Why is this even here? Does that window lead outside?'A cursory investigation revealed that there was nothing beyond the window.'It's just for appearances!?'

Growling in frustration, Gin climbed atop the table on the right side of the room, before he leapt upwards and grabbed the bottle. 'It's full of water… I'm not really thirsty, though…'He blinked.'Wait! Why is this even here? This room was locked!' Out of the corner of his eye, Gin swore he could see the teddy bear's head twitch.

Gin examined two tables which were near the entrance to the room, setting the bottle down on one. They were barren except for a single lighter. 'Might as well get some light in here. Cat vision makes my eyes tired…'

Padding over to the candle, Gin lit the wick, showing surprising dexterity for a boy wearing massive kitten mittens. A crack sounded behind him.

Gin spun around, yelping when he discovered that a red fluid had begun to leak from the teddy bear's eyes. "S-Scary, mew…"

Gin couldn't help but feel kind of bad for the stuffed animal, despite the apprehension that rippled through him. Taking off his mittens, he wiped the fluid away with his hands, before rubbing it off on his shorts.

The bear smiled, and a flathead screwdriver fell from its mouth, clattering to the ground. Gin stared. '... I wanna go home.'

Groaning, Gin leaned down and picked up the tool, pocketing it.'What else…? There's that box on the desk…'Padding over to it, Gin dragged the box towards himself, and tried to open it.

The lid was screwed on.'Seriously? I guess I know what the screwdriver's for, now…'Luckily, the screws matched the screwdriver, and Gin opened the box without much issue. Inside was another tool: an allen wrench. 'One of those reverse-wrench thingies… What am I supposed to use this on?'

Figuring he should try something else for the time being, the boy moved over to the bookcase. 'There's something on top… I don't want to climb the bookshelf and have it squish me, though…'He shuddered at the thought.

Instead, he pulled some of the books out of the shelves before making a makeshift step ladder with them. He couldn't help but think it was kind of fun. Grinning, Gin pulled down more books to improve his creation. When he pulled books from the top shelf, a digital clock was revealed.'28:75? That's not a real time! Is it a clue?'

Finishing off his book steps, Gin ascended them and swiped the box resting on the top of the bookshelf. He rushed it over to one of the empty tables and pulled the cover off. Inside were two needles, with slight indents on the bottom. 'Huh? What…? Oh!'

After a bit of restructuring, Gin was able to use the books as a step to reach the hands of the grandfather clock. The needles slid right in. 'What time should I set it to…? There's another clock in this room, but…'Gin slid the short needle to '4' and the long needle to '3'.

He blinked. "Nothing's happening, meow? Was I wrong, woof?" He thought for a second. '... Maybe I did my math wrong? 28 minus 24 is 4, right? Then, 75 minus 60 is 15… Wait! The extra time!'Gin slid the short needle down to '5.'

'Success!'The clock rang and the pendulum in its body moved. An object fell out in the commotion. Gin quickly picked it up. 'One of those four-pointed screwdrivers… Are there more screws in this room?'

The lights in the room flickered, causing Gin to flinch. When he backed away from the clock, he noticed something to his left. 'More red stuff… Is it supposed to be blood? These guys are trying too hard…'

The crack in the ceiling flowed with an angry red stream, coalescing in one of the tiles on the floor. 'Gross…'Gin moved over to it. There had to be a reason there was only red fluid on this tile, right!? The boy pulled out one of his tools and jammed it under the crack between the tiles, wrenching it open.

There was a pool of red liquid under the tile. 'Ew… Wait, there's something down there! I can't really reach it, though…'Gin's eyes drifted back to the water bottle on the tabletop. 'They're both liquids, right? I might be able to get it if I pour the water in!'

Gin scampered over to the water bottle, bringing it back to the opened tile. He poured the entire content down, rising the water level closer to the floor. Cheering, Gin took off a mitten and fearlessly plunged his hand into the liquid, pulling out a small object.

'I've seen my mom use this to pull nails before…'Gin pocketed the tool.'The only thing I haven't touched is that weird painting…'

Gin glided over to it, staring at the shady figure. "Wait, meow… There are different things screwing in the painting, woof!" Each corner of the painting held a different affixer.

Gin used each of the different tools he now had at his disposal, before pocketing them again. 'These might come in handy…'

Once the sixth grader had removed the painting, a section of the wall right next to him slid open. "Mreowr!? What's this here for, woof!?" Behind the secret opening was a locker. "M-Maybe there's a key in there, nya…"

Haltingly, Gin pulled opened the locker. A man with half of his head shaven toppled onto the boy.

Gin screamed. "MREOWR! Get this guy offa me!" Gin struggled and writhed, wriggling out from underneath the man's slack form. Gin gasped for air once he was finally free. 'What's up with that stupid hairstyle? Pick a color and stick with it!'

"H-... Help…" The man twitched, before going still. Gin swallowed.

"Th-there's no way I can lift this guy, meow…" Gin turned around, intending to call for help once more. As it turned out, the point was moot.

The door was open wide. 'You gotta be kidding…'

Gin immediately spied Muscle Gorilla and Hat Lady. They were walking towards the door where Big Sis Anzu and the others had been trapped.

"Huh? What's goin' on? I heard some bangin'..."

Gin sprinted up to them. "Muscle Gorilla! Hat Lady! BigSisAnzuandSamuraiGirlandCottonCandyandPoliceLadyandHipsterallgottrappedintheblueroomandIwasgonnagethelpbutIsawaguygointotheredroomsoIfollowedandIgotstuckandIhadtosolvethisannoyingpuzzlebutitwasactuallykindafunand-" He gasped for breath. "There was a guy in there! With really stupid hair!"

Muscle Gorilla's eyes spun in their sockets. "C-Calm down, kiddo! What in Sam Hill are you talkin' about?"

Gin barked at him. "You've gotta help Big Sis Anzu, nya! She's stuck in the blue room. Hat Lady!" He whirled on the woman and she stepped back, startled. "Can you lift a guy, woof?"

"I… can try?" Hat Lady blinked. He grabbed at her hand, dragging her towards the red door. He craned his neck towards Muscle Gorilla. "Help Big Sis Anzu, okay!?"

Muscle Gorilla, though still looking confounded, flashed the boy a thumbs up.

Mai gasped in shock as soon as she stepped into the room. "Oh, my goodness! Are you alright!?" She rushed to the strange man's side.

"He's conked out, woof! We gotta carry him!"

Hat Lady bit her lip. "W-Well… I can't just leave him here… Where did he come from, anyways? Is this a prison jumpsuit?"

"Who cares, nya? We can just interrogate him when he wakes up!"

"O-Okay… Are you ready?" Gin nodded, and they heaved the man upwards, Hat Lady's hands under his arms, and Gin supporting his legs. 'He's… Really heavy…'Gin panted with exertion.

Hat Lady was starting to look pretty gross, too. "Let's just… Get him to the main hall, hah…"

"A-Agreed, woof…"

On their way out the door, they ran into the final two members of their group.

"My word! Is he alright!?" Old Guy frowned heavily. Gin thought he looked like a canary with its feathers ruffled.

Shorty was more like a hissing Siamese. "Eugh. Where'd this freak come from?"

Hat Lady panted. "Mind… Lending a hand?"

Shorty scoffed and backed away, but Old Guy stepped forward to help without hesitation, picking up the slack on Gin's end. Shorty trailed behind, looking curious, as they marched the strange man into the Main Hall.

"Alright…!" Puffed Hat Lady as they lowered the weird guy down against the wall. "Hinako, Mishima, would you terribly mind watching him for the moment? Apparently the rest of our group's found themselves in some trouble…"

"Oh, dear! Certainly, Miss Tsurugi…" Old Guy worried his lip.

Shorty snorted. "Not like there's anything else to do…"

Gin vibrated in place. "Alright! Hat Lady, let's go!"

She smiled. "I'm coming, I'm coming…"

A short walk back to the game room, Gin outpacing Hat Lady by a wide margin, revealed the other six members of their group, sat around on the floor. With the exception of Muscle Gorilla, who just seemed baffled, they all looked rattled, to varying degrees.

Police Lady and Samurai Girl had the mildest reactions. Rigidness in their posture, tense shoulders, and set jaws marred their features.

Cotton Candy and the Hipster looked a little worse for wear. Sweat poured down their pale, clammy faces: Cotton Candy clenching and unclenching his fists, knuckles white; Hipster scratching at his shoulder, swallowing rapidly.

Big Sis Anzu…'Her fear scent… I can smell it from here…'

He tackled her in a hug, eliciting a small shriek from the teen. "Ah…! G-Gin…?"

"I'm sorry, meow…" Big Sis Anzu was quaking in terror, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. She had obviously been sobbing very recently. "I couldn't protect you, woof…" He sniffled, looking up at her. "What happened, nya…?"

"Gin…" She looked away, pained. "Th-there was…"

"A sick game." Police Lady interjected, holding up an… Arm!? What!? "Don't worry, it's just a doll." She smiled. "I had to load fake and real bullets into a revolver… And fire at them." She gestured to the gun in her possession.

A bead of sweat appeared on Hat Lady's face. "Could you… Put that away, please? I don't ever want to see a gun again…"

"W-Woof!? Big Sis Anzu…!?"

"I-I'm okay, Gin." She smiled, shakily. Gin could tell she was trying to comfort him. He should be comforting her! He nestled deeper into her sweater. "Megumi… She g-got us out of there in one piece… I'm just a little… Rattled, is all…"

Police Lady sighed. "It's understandable. I only regret it had to come to that at all. At least it was a simple puzzle…" Gin looked up at her.'Now's my chance! I know she's a good person because she saved Big Sis Anzu, so I can vow to protect her!'

"Police Lady… You saved Big Sis Anzu, right?"

"I wouldn't say that, necessarily. I was just doing what anyone would do. There was a bit of tension, admittedly. Sara and Ranmaru both wanted to be the challenger." She hummed. "Of course, Ranmaru backed down pretty quickly when Sara told him to… So really it was down to her or I."

Cotton Candy turned cherry-flavoured again.'He should probably see a doctor about that…'

"Whatever, woof! You did the puzzle right, didn't you!? Thank you, Big Sis Megumi!"

The newly dubbed Big Sis Megumi blanched. "B-Big Sis…?" Was that reaction going to be a theme or something!?

Hipster frowned. "What I'm curious about is that doll limb… I don't suppose it's for the poem?"

Cotton Candy scoffed. "If you can call that 'poetry,' sure… Guess we gotta find more doll limbs. Hope they're not all this fucked up."

Samurai Girl smirked. "You have a metric for poetry, Ranmaru? Do you happen to write any?"

Cherry-flavor. "Wh-What does that have to do with anything…!?"

She giggled.

Big Sis Anzu groaned, Gin feeling it against his cheek. "I don't feel well… Wish I could get some fresh air…"

"D-Don't hurl on me, woof!"

"I… Wasn't going to!?"

Muscle Gorilla cleared his throat. "Awright, that's enough… Didn't you need Mai fer somethin', Gin? Something 'bout 'Stupid Hair'…?"

Gin perked up. "That's right, nya! I found a weird guy in the room over there! He was knocked out!"

"S-Seriously!?" Muscle Gorilla turned to Hat Lady, as if he didn't believe Gin. Rude!

She bit her lip. "It's true… He's back in the main hall with Hinako and Mishima."

Megumi blinked. "Wait… You found a stranger… And you left him alone with our weakest group members?"

Hat Lady turned red. "H-He's unconscious…!"

Hipster frowned. "Ah, but will he stay that way…? We'd better check up on them…"

The group murmured a general agreement and rushed towards the Main Hall.

Shorty glared at them the moment they came clamoring in. "What's with all the commotion?"

"Hinako…! You're okay!"

The petite girl raised an eyebrow. "... Yeah? Why wouldn't I be…?"

Old Guy cleared his throat from his position beside the unconscious stranger. "Our new friend here is still conked out, I'm afraid. We're perfectly alright."

Naturally, as soon as the man spoke those words, the weird guy groaned and shifted. "What… The devil…?"

"He's awake, meow!"

Muscle Gorilla groaned. "Dammit…! Couldn't we have tied him up?"

Old Guy blanched. "Now what reason would we have to do that? I'm sure he'll be perfectly reasonable with us. He has a collar, after all…"

Old Guy was right, there. Gin had been trying not to think about the ugly metal devices attached to everybody's necks. Of course, he had noticed it soon after waking up, but the adrenaline rush had been too intense to focus on it much. Then, with all the excitement of exploring, it seemed nobody else wanted to discuss them, either…

Hipster grunted. "Ugh, I hate this thing… It chafes something awful…" He blinked. "Ah, but you're probably right. I don't get the feeling this guy is with the kidnappers, at least."

Samurai Girl frowned. "Still, let's keep on guard around him. It can't hurt to be careful."

"Who… Are all of you…?" The strange man blinked several times, clearing his vision. "Don't tell me…! You're with these insidious kidnappers!?"

A strange emotion flickered across Shorty's face. "That tone of voice…" She muttered to herself. "Old-Timer?"

The man blinked. "Who…? Hinako Mishuku?"

"You… Know this person, Hinako?" Big Sis Megumi raised an eyebrow, very obviously eyeing the man's prison garb.

"Kinda… He was part of my First Trial…" Shorty looked away for a moment. "I had assumed… When he never showed up…"

"Hah, thinking me for a goner, Hinako Mishuku? You truly are a child." Stripey, Gin dubbed, grinned.

Shorty sneered. "Don't make me hurt you." She turned to address the group. "This guy's Gonbee Yamada. He… Really doesn't look anything like how I'd pictured him."

"Hah? How did you expect me to look…?"

"Not like a rejected Spider From Mars, that's for sure." She scoffed. "There's a reason I called you 'Old-Timer.'"

"Kch! Such abrasiveness… Any doubts I may have held over your identity are long since dead…" Stripey straightened, pulling himself to his feet. "It is as the impolite young woman says: my name is Gonbee Yamada. I am a simple salaryman."

Big Sis Megumi raised an eyebrow. "A salaryman… In a prison jumpsuit?"

"Gah! Officer!" Stripey gulped.

"Inspector."

"I-Inspector…! I'm merely a thief, I assure you! All I did was…Appropriatesome company funds which weren't strictly meant for me. Surely someone else here has perma-borrowed a video game or two, right?"

A strange look crossed Big Sis Megumi's face at the mention of embezzlement.

Big Sis Anzu bit her lip. "I mean, there was that one time…"

"Meow!? Big Sis Anzu!?"

"I-I mean…! Forget I said that! I'm not a delinquent!"

Cotton Candy made an ugly face. "Nobody said you were…?"

Big Sis Megumi hummed. "I've got another question, Mister Yamada. Why were you hiding? None of us ever caught wind of your presence until Gin here found you…"

Stripey scoffed. "As if I would have sought out a group that could potentially harm me? The answer's in your pocket, inspector. I do not seek to be gunned down by a stranger. Surely, you would have done the same in my position, waking up alone in such a befuddling place?"

Hipster nodded. "I suppose he has a point. If I hadn't met Q-taro right away, I likely would have wandered off on my own, as well."

Big Sis Megumi seemed to accept this. "Okay… But I'm going to keep a close eye on you, Yamada. You understand, right?"

Stripey scoffed. "Very well. Just don't expect me to help you. I don't believe in such trivial concepts as 'Safety In Numbers.'"

The inspector looked like she wanted to say something to that, but gave up halfway through.

Gin ignored the adults as they began to discuss where else they should explore, and what they might've missed.

"Big Sis Anzu…" Gin poked her. "Do you wanna go exploring some more…?"

She swallowed. "I think… I've done enough exploring for today…" She flashed him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Gin."

"It's okay, meow…" He frowned.'She's really scared…'

Shorty cleared her throat. "Right, forgot to mention…" She gestured over to the wall, where a right leg rested. "Found a doll limb, like the one the cop's got."

Stripey yelped. "What… Devilry is this…!?"

Shorty snorted. "I just said it's a doll. Chill out."

Muscle Gorilla pumped his fist. "Awright! Tha's two down, now!"

"Indeed." Big Sis Megumi grinned. "Shin. Yamada. Come with me, there's something I want to test."

Hipster shrugged. "Okay…"

"Gh-! Why am I just 'Yamada?'" Stripey pouted, reluctantly tagging along. They headed back towards the game room.

Gin sat down, bored, but not wanting to separate from Big Sis Anzu.'I could have gone with Big Sis Megumi, but… Big Sis Anzu needs me more right now.'He pulled out the lighter, flicking it on and off to alleviate some boredom.

"Hey, a lighter?" Big Sis Anzu grinned. "I know some cool tricks I could do with that…"

Gin was intercepted as he tried to hand it over. "Good heavens!" Old Guy zipped over to them. "Two youths, playing with such a dangerous device!?" His glasses sheened.'That creepy smile… Why does he look so excited?'Gin sweat. "I'm afraid I shall have to confiscate it."

"H-Huh…? But, I was gonna…"

"A-bup-bup! No buts! I refuse to allow such bright young minds to cause harm to themselves! Please, hand me that lighter…!" Why did he look so desperate!?

Shorty snickered. "Why do you want that lighter so badly? You already took that cigar cutter from me… And the cigar itself." She grinned, wolfishly. "Could it be…? Upstanding Professor Mishima's dying for a smoke?"

"N-No…! O-Of course not!" So that's what this was about!? Dumb grown-up stuff. Gin groaned as Big Sis Anzu gave up the lighter.

"I could use a smoke, myself…" Gin pretended he didn't hear that.'I guess even delinquents can be good people, huh?'Her eyes turned to him, wide. "U-Uh…! Why are you looking at me like that?"

Old Guy cackled like he was Doctor Frankenstein. "Yes… Very good…" He pocketed the lighter with glee.

Shorty grinned. "Hey, professor. You know you could light up that cigar now, don't you?"

"H-Huh? Why would an upstanding man like myself," he choked, "e-ever do something like that…?"

"Shorty, are you being mean, woof?" Gin frowned. "You shouldn't encourage addiction, meow!"

"I'm not encouraging anything, Cat Kid. I'm just stating facts. Mishima better hold on to that cigar tight. It might give a delinquent like Me or Anzu some ideas…"

"Wh-Why are you lumping me in!?"

Old Guy sweat heavily. "I'm n-not sure what you mean, Miss Mishuku…? What ideas?"

Shorty made a show of inspecting her blunt nails for dirt. "Just sayin'... If someone was to, say, steal that cigar from you and smoke it… That'd be a real tragedy, wouldn't it? I mean, that cigar looked really expensive, didn't it? The idea of some ignoramus youth smoking it, not being able to appreciate the subtle hints of flavor…"

"Q-Quite right…!" Old Guy whipped out the cigar.'Shorty, why!?'He chuckled, a bit of hysteria edging his tone. "I shall merely… Let the cigar burn itself out. For the sake of protection!" His eyes shifted from beneath his glasses. "O-Of course… I would need to take it down to the bathroom… It's a fire hazard, you see…"

Old Guy cut the cigar with a practiced hand, before something toppled out of its end. "O-Oh?" He picked it up. "A one thousand yen note… It seems it wasn't a real cigar, after all…" He looked utterly devastated. "Here, Mister Ibushi, you can have the lighter back, and the note, as well. I believe there was a vending machine in one of the hallways... Why don't you fetch yourself a drink?" He lowered his tone to a murmur. "Lord knows I need one, now… Boohoo…"

Gin, quickly perking up at the prospect of soda, as well as overjoyed that Old Guy couldn't give in to his obvious smoking habit, cheered. "One thousand yen, woof!? Alright! Big Sis Anzu, do you want anything!?"

Anzu swallowed. "I could really use a cherry soda, right about now…"

"Okay, nya!"

"Hey, what if I wanted a soda?" Shorty frowned.

"You don't get a soda, meow! I told you not to encourage bad habits, and you did it anyway, woof!"

"Man, you're a buzzkill, Cat Kid."

Gin rolled his eyes and darted off to the passageway Old Guy had motioned towards. In his excitement, he missed the sign proclaiming the name of the room he hadn't yet explored. He scampered up to the vending machine.

"The sodas are all… One thousand yen, woof!?" Gin wilted.'Guess I'm not gonna get a cola, after all… I hope Big Sis Anzu will share…'

He put in the one thousand yen note, more than his allowance in a whole week, and selected a cherry soda.

A left arm toppled into the dispensing slot. Gin stared. "You're kidding me. Meow."

Sighing, Gin picked it up.'That's just the left leg, now, right? I'm… Kinda nervous. After that First Trial…'

Gin decided to explore the new room. It was the only one he hadn't been to, after all. Even if he didn't have Big Sis Anzu with him, it was only right to pull his weight.

Gin stopped short as he saw the rows and rows of alcoholic drinks littering the back of the room.'It's… A bar.'Gin's mind flashed. Yelling and screaming. The shattering of glass. Gin's mother screaming at his father, angrier than he had ever heard her. The sharp tips of-

Gin shook his head violently. "Mreowr…!" His eyes refocused on a chalkboard at the end of the room.'Can Drink: Gonbee, Kazumi, Keiji, Mai, Megumi, Naomichi, Q-taro, Reko, Shin, Shunsuke. Can't Drink: Anzu, Gin, Hinako, Kanna, Ranmaru, Sara.'It read. Gin gulped. "Keiji, Shunsuke, Naomichi, Reko, Kanna… I haven't seen any of these people, meow…"

He backed up. One pace. Two paces.

He bolted back to the safety of the main hall. He couldn't be here by himself.

Anzu blinked in surprise, before wilting. "Seriously? I really wanted that soda…"

"Sorry, meow…"

"Isn't it better we found another doll limb?" Shorty raised an eyebrow.

"I guess… It's still annoying, though, woof!"

Hat Lady giggled. "Don't worry, Gin~ I'll get you a soda once we're out of here, okay?"

"Really, meow? You're alright, Hat Lady!"

A bead of sweat rolled down her forehead, though her smile remained in place. "Er, It's Mai, sweetheart…"

It wasn't his fault he was bad with names! She was wearing a funny hat, and she was a lady! It's not like he would mistake her for someone else…

Before Gin could continue stewing, Big Sis Megumi and her entourage came back into the room, the woman clutching a left leg in her hand. "We've found another doll part. I don't suppose you've made any progress?"

Behind her, the two men were muttering to each other.

"She didn't have to blast that thing right next to my ear…"

"Utter inanity… These kidnappers must truly be mouth-breathers…"

Muscle Gorilla beamed. "As a matter o' fact, we did! Gin here scored us an arm!"

Gin shone under the praise. He helped!

Big Sis Megumi smiled. "Really? That's all the limbs, then…! Where'd Sara and Ranmaru run off to?"

Muscle Gorilla scratched his head. "I think they went to the cafeteria… Sumthing 'bout the kitchen. Not like they'd be able ta get in: door was shut tight when I tried…"

A funny look crossed Big Sis Anzu's face when she realized Cotton Candy and Samurai Girl were alone together. "W-Well, what are we waiting for…! Let's go!"

Big Sis Megumi grinned. "That's the spirit."

Stripey scoffed. "I don't see why I should agree to entertain this banality…"

She turned a scowl onto him. "How about because the Police Captain told you to, Yamada?"

He stiffened. "Y-Yes, ma'am…!"

"Awright… Let's see what happens…!"

After an uneventful walk, the group of nine increased their numbers back to eleven upon discovering Samurai Girl and Ranmaru in the cafeteria, talking at one of the tables.

"Ah, you've discovered all the limbs?" Samurai Girl nodded firmly. "Good job."

Cotton Candy groaned. "Argh… Just when I was startin' to feel comfortable." He stood. "Nothing for it, I guess. Let's go."

The group gathered in front of the dark hallway. Big Sis Megumi rallied them. "Okay, people! Whatever happens, remember that we are a unit. The kidnappers might think they have a hold on us, but that'll only be true if we allow infighting. Standing as a united front… That might just give us a chance."

Samurai Girl nodded. "Well said, Inspector. Despite the short time I've known everybody, I can't help but have faith in them." Her eyes roved over Cotton Candy and Big Sis Anzu. Their skin turned funky shades of red.'Are they sick? Are they allergic to Samurai Girl or something? Weird…'

Muscle Gorilla groaned. "Awright, enough already! We get it! Let's jus' put this damn doll together, already."

Stripey grinned. "I agree. Enough prattle. If I'm to be a part of this, I would prefer it to be quick and concise."

"Finally, someone's speaking some sense," Shorty snickered. "Enough of the weird heroic speeches."

Bis Sis Megumi blushed. "Right. Let's go, then."

Gin sidled up to her as they filed into the pink room. "Hey, I thought your speech was cool, meow…"

She blinked before smiling. "... Thanks, Gin."

He purred.

Samurai Girl inhaled. "Alright. I'll put the doll parts on. Would you mind handing them over?"

Gin didn't see a problem with that. It wasn't like he really wanted to touch that creepy thing, anyway. He handed over the arm, the others following suit.

Stripey swallowed. "Hey, we have a means of escape, right?"

Hipster smiled. "Don't worry, Gonbee," he gestured to the entrance, "I left the door open in case anything goes south."

"Nice one! Our escape route's secured, then!" Muscle Gorilla grinned.

The group watched with bated breath as Samurai Girl attached each of the doll's limbs, one by one. When she had finally finished…

Nothing happened.

Gin sniffed. Huh? "You guys… Smell something, woof?"

Cotton Candy blinked. "Hey, the room's… Going white?"

Hipster's eyes bulged. "It's gas! We have to get out of here!"

Before anyone could make good on his words, though, the room became completely obscured by a white smoke.'No good! Cat vision won't work on smoke!'

Gin huddled into a ball, trying to block his mouth and nose as much as he possibly could.

A sinister, high-pitched giggle echoed throughout the room. "It's not poisonous, everyone. Please relax."

'That's… The doll!? What the heck's going on!?'Muscle Gorilla's eyes bulged. "What the…!? Who the hell're you!?"

The doll tilted her head, her strange volcano hat pitching to the side. "Is it not obvious? I'm the doll you've just rescued. Advanced, am I not? Eheehee…"

Cotton Candy's eyebrows skyrocketed. "Are… You fuckin' serious?"

"Deathly so, heehee… I'm here to support you through the trials and tribulations to come. Your floormaster, if you will."

Samurai Girl's jaw set. "Floormaster? I believe I can speak for my companions when I ask: why are you here?"

The doll giggled again. So creepy! "My name is Sue Miley, the Laughing Doll. I am the doll who will guide you on this floor." She snickered. "My master has instructed me to guide you brave souls, who have already overcome several trials, to the Main Game."

Big Sis Megumi scowled. "Your master… No doubt about it. You're one of our kidnappers."

"Motherfucker!" Muscle Gorilla roared, causing Gin to flinch. "Gimme one reason I shouldn't tear you back apart, right now!"

"Eheehee… No, no, no…" Giggles tilted her head. "I wouldn't like that at all… I'm going to have to make an example…"

Gin's collar, underneath his hoodie, began to clamor. It hurt his ears terribly. "Mreowr…?"

"This ought to teach you a lesson, Q-taro. Be more respectful to your superiors…" Giggles snickered.

Muscle Gorilla went pale. "N-No… The kid? What're you doin' ta him!?"

"Oh? Isn't it obvious?I'm making his collar explode. Ahaha."

What? His collar was…? "M-Mew… What…? You can't…" Gin quivered, terror freezing him in place. He dropped Mew-chan, backing away. He didn't want them to get hurt.

Big Sis Anzu screamed in terror. "You monster! Why Gin, of all people!? What's wrong with you!?"

Muscle Gorilla clenched his fists, lips dry. "Ya can't… 'T ain't right…"

Giggles tilted her head. "Oh? Would you care to take his place, perhaps?"

Muscle Gorilla's eyes bulged, and he quieted. His fists clenched tight at his sides.

'Muscle Gorilla… Please…'Gin panted. "N-No… G-Get this thing off me, woof! Help!"

Giggles' cackling reached a cacophony, blending dissonantly with the screeching of his collar, like a choir from Hell.

Gin sobbed. "M-Mom…"

Suddenly, the collar stopped. Gin was still alive.

"That was a lie, of course. I can't kill a candidate," Giggles broke off into a fit of snickering, "f-for no reason, hahahaaa…"

Gin was alive? It was all a cruel prank. His knees wobbled, and he stumbled over to Mew-chan, clutching them tighter than he ever had. He collapsed to a sitting position, legs splayed.

Hat Lady's face turned red. "That was a sick fucking joke! What's the hell's the matter with you!?"

Giggles burst into another intense laughing fit. Gin tuned her out, his brain feeling all fuzzy; heart hammering. The rest of the conversation passed by in indistinct blurs. Gin swallowed.'I… Almost died… This isn't fun anymore… That First Trial… They really would have killed me?'Gin's hands quivered, fingers twitching.

He wanted to go home.