The embrace in his arms felt especially warm at this moment.
Takakai lowered his head, holding the trembling Maki tightly for a long while before slowly releasing her.
Maki, for her part, kept her eyes tightly shut, clinging to Takakai with all her strength before finally letting out a relieved sigh and loosening her grip.
"It's alright, it's alright. I'm back safe and sound, see? Everything's fine."
Noticing the faint redness in Maki's eyes, Takakai spoke softly as he leaned closer.
"Idiot..."
Realizing she had lost control of her expression, Maki could only mutter a quiet complaint, lightly patting Takakai's chest before rubbing her eyes and stepping aside.
Next was Chika, who had been waiting silently. Takakai pulled her into his arms, and the girl wrapped her own around his waist in return. After holding each other for a long moment, he heard Chika mumble a muffled "Thank goodness" before going completely limp against him.
For a second, Takakai thought she had fainted and nearly panicked, hurriedly checking on her—only for her to look up and stick her tongue out at him.
The little prank left him torn between laughter and exasperation. Of course, he played along and put on an exaggerated "you got me" expression, letting Chika revel in her victory and easing the anxiety in her heart.
He could tell—both Maki and Chika had been terrified by this sudden crisis.
Especially after learning that Takakai had reset three times, going through four full loops before finally clearing the dungeon, with each attempt fraught with peril. The two girls couldn't hide their unease and worry, forcing Takakai to spend a long time reassuring them before they finally calmed down.
Not long after, Kumami's call came through via Nanami. She assured him that his information had been well concealed and he wouldn't need to worry about leaks in the near future, though she still advised caution and recommended he avoid revealing his newly acquired Blessings carelessly.
Tokyo's player market manager, Ogawa Itsuki, along with Nanami Nanami and Gotou Hitori, paid him a visit shortly after his return. The former offered to provide more Dusk and Midnight-grade dungeon passes and even spare Obsessions—clearly recognizing Takakai's potential and looking to invest in him early. Nanami and Bocchi (who had been dragged along) mainly came to check if he was alright.
Takakai had considered telling Bocchi about Kita Ikuyo right then, but seeing how the girl could barely string two words together, he settled for exchanging numbers with both Nanami and Bocchi, deciding to broach the subject another time.
As for Yotsuya Miko, there'd been no contact yet—they hadn't exchanged numbers. But Takakai was certain the next few days wouldn't be easy for her. After all, nearly her entire class had vanished, and no one even seemed to notice. Experiencing something like that firsthand was horror on an entirely different level.
That said, given her resilience, she'd probably pull through eventually—no matter how hard it got.
Still, no amount of strength could make something like that any less tragic.
On another note, Kaguya hadn't come to check on him personally. After confirming his safe return, she'd left immediately—clearly in a hurry over something. Whatever it was, Takakai decided to worry about it later. Right now, his top priorities were: change clothes, take a shower, and sleep.
Even though his clothes weren't too torn up, they were covered in dust and dried blood. And now that everything was finally over, the exhaustion hit him like a truck—both from the physical strain and the mental fatigue of suppressing Alice.
Though both Maki and Chika had offered to let him stay at their places, Takakai opted for a nearby hotel instead, collapsing onto the bed and sleeping for several hours before finally stirring.
The moment he woke up, he felt it—the change.
A Blessing.
Not tainted by any corruption or malice, only the purest, most sincere form of goodwill—now fully integrated into his body and mind.
This was Hirano Sousuke's Blessing.
Sitting up in bed, Takakai raised his hand—and a black service pistol materialized in his grip.
Ejecting the magazine, he counted ten rounds inside.
He slid it back in, racked the slide, took aim at the wall, and pulled the trigger.
No shot fired.
Of course not—because bullets would only discharge when he willed them to.
This gun was the physical manifestation of Hirano's Blessing—the second Obsession-Blessing Takakai had received with a tangible reward, following Lin Xusheng's rescue team badge.
And honestly?
This Blessing was terrifying.
As a Crimson Moon Core Remnant's gift, the pistol had two modes.
First Mode: Anti-Physical.
Against tangible enemies, this gun had no ammo limit—it seemed to draw power from the surrounding air, growing stronger in areas thick with supernatural energy.
It was, in every sense, an infinite-ammo handgun—with Hirano's signature [Precision] trait.
Meaning:
Once Takakai had "locked on" to a target—that is, seen them and knew their location—every shot he fired would inevitably strike wherever he intended on their body, even if he wasn't aiming at them.
As for firepower...
Takakai opened the window, glancing down at the street before reconsidering and looking up instead, spotting a bird soaring several kilometers away.
Bang!
He fired at the ground.
With a muted gunshot, the distant bird exploded into a puff of feathers and blood, plummeting from the sky.
Even at a range of several kilometers, the bullet struck near-instantly—and the sheer destructive force, even in its baseline state, rivaled high-explosive ordnance.
But beyond this standard mode, the gun had a second function—one meant specifically for specters.
Takakai dubbed it [Judgment Mode]—the most fitting name he could think of.
To activate it, he needed to meet one of six conditions—with more conditions met amplifying the gun's power exponentially, especially the sixth rule.
The rules were:
Know the specter's appearance.Know the specter's life story.Know the specter's rules.Be at the specter's place of death or its core territory (or target its Obsession directly).Be under the effects of the specter's rules.The target harmed innocent, unrelated people in life.
Meeting any one allowed Takakai to fire—but each additional condition stacked the gun's potency.
When the bullet struck, the specter would be sealed, its rules nullified—effectively disabling it within the dungeon.
Against Dusk-grade specters, even one condition could lock them down for days—all six might last years.
For Midnight or Crimson Moon entities (or Core Remnants), the effect weakened—but the gun's ten-round magazine meant Takakai could chain shots, layering the suppression.
Take Herdal, for example—one of Nutty Putty Cave's Core Remnants.
If Takakai fired at her while under her influence (knowing her appearance and rules), he'd need about four shots to seal her for 24 hours.
If he shot her inside the Great Crevasse? Maybe two to three days.
But since Herdal was purely a victim in life, the sixth rule didn't apply—otherwise, one bullet could've locked her away for a week.
The thought of suppressing a Midnight Core Remnant for a full day—with zero backlash—made Takakai grin. If Kumami knew, her reaction would be priceless. Her bronze eye (which cost her an actual eyeball) could only restrain a specter for minutes at a time—with severe recoil.
This Blessing was his alone—Hirano's final gift before passing on, granted only after Takakai took up his mantle.
But beyond the gun, Hirano's Blessing had three more effects.
Second Effect: [Undying] (or [Battle Continuation]).
Simple enough—so long as Takakai's consciousness held, he could keep fighting through fatal wounds, reviving unscathed once the effect ended.
Even if vaporized, pulped, or dissolved, he wouldn't die—able to control his own remains until the Blessing's duration expired, after which he'd resurrect fully healed.
The catch? A 72-hour cooldown—making it a one-time safety net per dungeon.
Third Effect: [Detection].
A passive ability with activation conditions—tailored against supernatural rules.
When Takakai entered an area under a specter's influence and investigated it, if attacked, he'd instantly know where to hide or how to evade its rules.
For example:
During his first loop in Shirakawa Apartments, when the porcelain dolls cornered and boiled him alive—had he possessed this Blessing, even under mental pollution, he'd have immediately noticed the high cabinets as safe zones.
The effect ignored mental state, even waking him from sleep or unconsciousness to point out escape routes.
The limitation? He had to have seen the area beforehand—his awareness dictated the Blessing's effectiveness.
Still, an invaluable survival tool.
Fourth Effect: Stat Boost.
The most straightforward of the set—enhancing Takakai's already superhuman physique further, along with a slight bump to his willpower (though the gains were marginal given his existing stats).
It also granted him Hirano's firearms expertise—making him a master marksman overnight.
"...So this is a Crimson Moon Core Remnant's Blessing?"
Feeling the surging power within, Takakai almost felt like he could take on Thanos in a fistfight.
And then—
Hm?
There was one more.
A far weaker Blessing, so faint he'd almost missed it.
From a forgotten, overlooked child—the human Alice, who'd left it for him after he shattered her monstrous shell and freed her from the darkness.
"..."
In silence, Takakai raised his hand—and a door materialized in the air.
Opening it, he stepped through into a small white room.
Inside were snacks—the kind her parents had bought her in happier times, the treats she'd loved most.
A tiny bed, far too small for him but just right for her—soft and warm.
Plush toys—bunnies, lambs, ducklings.
This was her home as she remembered it—her bedroom, her safe haven.
Now, it existed as a pocket dimension, a space between reality and dungeons where he could rest untouched by specters.
Duration: 5 hours per use.
Cooldown: 10 days.
Her power was limited—this was the best she could give.
"To think..."
At a loss for words, Takakai exited, watching the door vanish behind him.
Knock knock knock—
Just then, the hotel door creaked open—revealing Chika's pink hair peeking inside.
"Kai~kun, we're coming in~"
With a playful sing-song voice, Chika slipped inside—followed by a blushing, slightly nervous Maki, carrying a lunchbox.