After watching Sayori go into her house, I turned around and put my hands in my pocket.
I saw.
I saw something absolutely...annoying. the moment I obtained ghost vision and Spiritual Energy, I was able to see Somethings hauntingly Sayori, abive her head were various small miserable ghosts feeding on her remaining happiness.
It ticked me off, it really did, besides that I can also see a few wandering spirit's who just hanged around and floated about, they were harmless...I knew, the Occult knowledge and the Exorcist knowledge in my mind suddenly seem to compliment each other.
Also I could feel the Talismans in my bag, it seems I have no inventory, but that means nothing at this moment, now how should u make the girls happy, who should I spend time with tomorrow?.
Well, I will figure that out later and maybe i should bring Natsuki some food too, it's not like it's too much for me.
Soon I returned home and went to my room to check the bullet book of the Scarlet demon since now I have Danmaku creation(Basic) and now have my spiritual energy.
I exhaled, feeling the weight of it all pressing down on me.
So much darkness... in such a normal-looking world.
Tomorrow, I'd have to choose.
But for now, I opened the book and began sketching bullet patterns on a scrap of paper.
Tiny circles of light and lines of force, designed to shatter the darkness.
After all...
If this was the world I was thrown into...
Then I'd be damned if I let it fall apart.
---
I woke up feeling a slight headache, maybe it was because of the intense reading last night or just the trial and error of. I was able to make three. Two red magic Danmaku an̈d one curse of vlad tepes.
They are of course weaker than the original one but deciphering the bullet symbols wasn't really that hard, the Scarlet Devil is impressive.
///Doki Doki Literature Quest///
I yawned as I entered glass, I was quite tired now that I realise it, anyways, I got Yuri a bookmark today, felt like it was necessary as well as bringing sayori flowers and natsuki good, Monika seems more of someone who values nothing like worldly items, so I should just talk to her.
I sat at my chair and put my head on the desk.
"Hey, it seems you are gloomy today." I heard the teasing and cheerfully voice of sayori entering my ears, I looked up and surprisingly saw one of the seven spirits that haunted her were gone. That made me smile a little.
At her remark I rubbed the back of my head. "Yeah, I slept a bit late yesterday."
Sayori frowned. "That's not healthy Mark, you should get some sleep early."
I raised my eyebrows see.ingky amused by her words. "And you should talk about your emotions with someone."
She was wordless for a few seconds before she turned her head With a pout. "Hey that's not fair."
"I'm serious, you can talk to me about it when we are free, what about this weekend." I asked teasingly and she looked at me with the corners of her eyes.
She blushed as she turned to me this time. "Are you asking me on a date?." She asked curiously, there was a slight light of
anticipation in her eyes mixed with doubt.
I was surprised. "Do you want to go on a date with me?."
Sayori blinked, then she thought about it for a moment. "Well...i know you for about a few months and I don't think we have that kind of relationship maybe..."
[You have been given a weekly Quest:]
[Weekly Quest #1: Go on a date with Sayori and make her happy. Reward: Grief spirits reduced to 3 in number, Sayori's number, Sayori will be happy.]
[Failure: Sayori WILL commit suicide.]
I blinked, well that was new. "You know what, why not, since we have no club duties on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays,I could grab you by Saturday or friday."
Sayori's cheeks flushed a deeper red, her eyes darting to the side. She tried to play it off with a half-hearted laugh, but her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her uniform.
"W-Well... if you insist... I guess I'll think about it," she said, voice light, but I could see it—just above her head, those parasitic spirits twitched, like moths startled by a sudden gust.
One of them hissed faintly—then faded, evaporating into mist. The others pulsed dimly, their tendrils recoiling slightly from her.
It was working.
I smiled, but not too wide. My heart was beating faster than I liked to admit. Not because of some teenage crush—though Sayori was cute in her own way—but because of the sheer gravity of the system notification hanging in my vision.
Failure: Sayori WILL commit suicide.
It wasn't a suggestion. It wasn't a maybe. It was a guarantee.
This wasn't just some lighthearted dating sim anymore. There were real stakes. Real consequences.
I smiled. "You seem a little bit happier now, here take this flower."
I gave her another rose, she looked at it and grabbed it once more like she did yesterday, she then whispered under her breath. "You're acting nicer today."
I smiled and pretended not to here, seeing her genuinely happy makes me feel I have achieved something...meaningful, no?!!, I have accomplished so.ething meaningful.
Mottp of the day:Wipe away depression and bring about happiness?!!.
"Not a bad motto." I said nodding my head in satisfaction and after that. I, thus, put my head back on the desk.
When class started Sayori luckily woke me up and I thanked her. The clas we ha was chemistry, ah yes, I hate that subject.
Luckily it was a practical class and we were in the lab, the teacher tasked us to create a chemical reaction using hydrogen peroxide and potassium iodide—the good old elephant toothpaste experiment.
I was still groggy, my head buzzing with remnants of spiritual energy and the faint lingering headache from last night's bullet-pattern session, but I forced myself to focus. I didn't need any explosions today... or worse, drawing attention from the wrong kind of spirits.
Sayori was paired up with me—probably by sheer coincidence, or maybe the universe was trying to tell me something. Either way, she looked a little brighter today. Less... hollow.
But I could still see the faint wisps of darkness curling behind her, like oily smoke drifting from a smoldering wick. The spirits weren't gone yet.
"Alright, Mark, Sayori—show me your results when you're done!" the teacher called, voice bored.
Sayori giggled as she poured the hydrogen peroxide into the flask. "I always loved this reaction! It looks like magic!"
"Huh?" Suddenly the volcano erupted.
The foam erupted in a messy explosion, splattering across my face, shirt, and even some of my notebook. A few students nearby snickered, and Sayori gasped, hands flying to her mouth.
"Oh no! Mark, I'm so sorry!" she blurted, rushing to grab some paper towels.
I coughed, wiping the sticky foam off my face, feeling the heat of embarrassment crawl up my neck. But… despite the mess, I couldn't help but smile a little.
Because right then, as Sayori panicked and dabbed frantically at my face, the last traces of a spirit above her head flickered and vanished.
That's three down. Four to go.
The dark aura behind her seemed thinner now, like fog after a storm. Her smile, though sheepish, seemed less strained—brighter, even.
"Relax, it's just foam. Not like I'm melting," I muttered, grinning as she tried to clean up the mess.
Sayori giggled, relief flooding her expression. She looked at me and for the first time, her eyes didn't seem so… tired.
///Doki Doki Literature Quest///
It wad lunch time and Sayori seemed busy, I scratched my head and went to the rooftop to catch some fresh air with my lunch box in hand.
After arriving I went to the edge and felt the cold wind blowing on me, after a while I turned around and decide to sit somewhere that was when I noticed Natsuki, hugging her knees and was seemingly sleeping.
I paused then smiled as I sat beside her, I didn't want to wake her up from sleep but she is probably hungry.
I gently placed my lunch box on the ground, trying to make as little noise as possible. Sitting beside her, I watched as the wind played with her pink hair, making it dance softly in the breeze. Natsuki's face, relaxed in sleep, looked far more peaceful than usual—no scowl, no snarky remarks. Just a quiet, vulnerable girl who had clearly been holding back a lot more than she let on.
But... my ghost vision didn't lie. Around her, a faint shimmer hovered—small, barely visible at first, but when I focused, I could make it out.
A chain. A thin, brittle-looking Red chain, coiled tightly around her like a snake. It wasn't like the spirits haunting Sayori—this was different. Less like parasitic spirits feeding on her and more like a heavy burden wrapped around her, keeping her weighed down.
My Occult knowledge flared in my mind.
Vampire devouring Curse.
A vile curse placed upon vampires that slowly stun their growth and makes them unaware of themselves or their hunger mistaking it for normal human hunger.
While i say curse, it is a type of spirit. Honestly it proves that Natsuki is now a vampire and food would only satiate her hunger temporarily.
And, I think she isn't aware of it. I am definitely sure she isn't aware, yesterday she was talking about Magical Girl Vampira and was genuinely happy about it.
I really loved that smile, her happiness makes me happy.
But. Too bad she still cares about her father or else....
Well let's not think about that uet, I just came to this world yesterday, I should wake her up, maybe I should bring her a 'drink' disguising it as blood tomorrow.
I reached out and gently tapped Natsuki's shoulder.
"Hey… Natsuki, wake up. It's lunch."
Her eyes fluttered open, pink lashes brushing against her cheeks as she blinked in confusion. For a moment, she looked disoriented, then she straightened up quickly, brushing her hair out of her face.
"H-Huh?! Oh… it's you." She muttered, trying to play it cool, but I could see it—a slight flush on her cheeks, and the way her fingers clutched at her skirt told me she was embarrassed.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep…" she mumbled, hugging her knees tighter.
"Don't worry about it," I said with a smile. "You looked peaceful, so I didn't want to wake you."
Her blush deepened. "Tch… you're weird." But she didn't say it with her usual venom—there was something softer in her voice. Maybe even grateful.
I opened my lunch box, the faint scent of warm food drifting out.
"Want some?" I offered casually, nudging it toward her.
Her stomach growled in response, betraying her despite the way she looked away with a stubborn scowl.
"…Fine. Just a little."
She took a rice ball from the box, biting into it like a small animal. I watched her out of the corner of my eye—the way her eyes softened slightly with each bite, the faint tension in her shoulders easing.
The red chain around her pulsed faintly, like it was... weakening. Not breaking, not yet—but reacting. Maybe the act of caring was chipping away at it.
I leaned back, staring up at the sky.
Natsuki's a vampire, huh?
How long has it been since she was turned? Does she even remember? Or is the curse suppressing that part of her?
She looked over at me, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you thinking about? You're making a weird face."
I smirked slightly. "Just wondering what kind of magical girl you'd be."
She choked on her rice ball, coughing furiously. I handed her a bottle of water, trying not to laugh.
"Y-You're such an idiot!" she snapped, but there was no real bite to it. Just a hint of pink on her cheeks.
///Doki Doki Literature Quest///
Spirits found in this chapter
Grief spirits: Spirits that form when the emotions of someone Is leaning towards deep depression, these spirits devour the happiness,love,care and sanity of the person haunted.
Solution?: Well they can be exorcised or sealed or they can be ridden of by making the person happy and making them regain their joy.
Vampire Devouring Curse: This is a curse casted by a witch or a Lycanthrope, usually this also in the spirit category, to vampire this is a terrifyingly annoying curse.
Solution?: Kill the caster or slowly 'loosen' the chain.