Respawning? Refreshing?
Several theories surfaced in Hayato's mind, each one more unsettling than the last.
Hoshino Ai looked at the woman who'd been screaming in agony one moment and stood perfectly intact the next. Her heart couldn't stop racing, panic clawing its way up her throat.
The temperature in the first-floor lobby had dropped even further, making her shiver involuntarily. Her breath came out in faint mist.
But she knew she had to control herself. Had to stay calm.
Breathe. Just breathe.
"Huff..."
Hoshino Ai recalled the pressure she'd faced when first stepping on stage, that crushing weight of thousands of eyes on her. Then she remembered the sadness and bitterness after a failed concert, the ache in her chest that wouldn't go away for days.
The fear was suppressed, pushed down deep.
Hayato stopped in his tracks and turned around. The female staff member now showed a polite smile, bowed slightly, and continued speaking in that same sweet voice.
"Guest, is there anything you need? What service can I provide for you?"
In that instant, time stopped once again.
Bzzt...
The world froze mid-breath.
Riiip!
Just like before, Hayato inspected the female staff member again, tearing open her clothing to check beneath.
No difference from a normal human body. Smooth skin, no discoloration, no scales.
Couldn't find a single trace of anything supernatural.
Which meant the transformation only happened when she was actively hunting. Or the body reset completely each time she respawned.
Hayato confirmed one of his theories.
So she resets to the default state after being destroyed. Interesting....
Time stop ended.
Bzzt...
The female staff member noticed her disheveled clothing suddenly. Her mind seemed a bit slow to process what had happened, confusion flickering across her face.
"Guest, you're too impatient. If you have needs, Mayu can..."
Bzzt...
Without listening to the end, Hayato used Time Stop again and kicked the female staff member out through the lobby entrance with practiced efficiency.
Her body crossed the threshold.
"Aaaah..."
Another scream tore through the air.
The female staff member disappeared in smoke and ash.
But in less than five seconds, the exact same woman materialized again at the lobby's front desk position. She spotted Hayato and began approaching to ask her questions just like before, reset to the beginning.
This time, Hayato didn't bother with further testing. Instead, he turned and walked back, grabbed Hoshino Ai's hand, her fingers were cold, and entered the elevator with her.
Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man who'd been in the elevator from the start hadn't seen anything clearly, but those two painful howls and the familiar repeated "inquiry voice" filled them with fear that went bone-deep.
They absolutely didn't want to face that thing ever again.
But why was Hayato-san acting like nothing happened, showing zero reaction?! Like he'd just taken a casual stroll!
Finally, the moment the elevator doors began sliding shut, Sawanaga Taisuke glanced out one last time and made direct eye contact with the staff member who'd appeared right in front of the elevator. His heart instantly froze in his chest. He instinctively felt immense danger radiating from her gaze.
She's looking at me. She's looking directly at me.
He'd been marked. He was marked!
Cold sweat poured from Sawanaga's forehead, trickling down his temples.
The elevator climbed.
They quickly reached the third floor.
Ding!
Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man practically fled from the elevator the moment the doors opened, stumbling out one after another.
Kuroda Hikari and Kamimura Miho, who'd been waiting anxiously on the third floor, breathed a slight sigh of relief seeing everyone finally return safely. But the two women noticed Sawanaga Taisuke and the middle-aged man's deathly pale faces and immediately realized something terrible had happened downstairs.
"You guys open the doors first and confirm the room situations. If they're still twin-bed rooms, you'll need to go downstairs again to re-process check-in."
Those words made them both shudder visibly.
Sawanaga Taisuke and Tanaka Ichiro immediately used their keycards to open rooms 304 and 307 with trembling hands. They slapped the light switches and rushed inside to check the rooms frantically.
A moment later....
"Large bedroom."
"Mine's a large bedroom too."
Both voices came out shaky with relief.
They collapsed onto the floor, legs giving out.
"We don't have to face that monster again. Thank god."
Sawanaga Taisuke let out a long, shuddering breath.
If they'd had to go to the first floor again, he absolutely wouldn't have dared. He'd rather die up here than face that thing.
Hayato entered room 304 to inspect it. The room layout was the same as 306, with identical furnishings. He quickly checked everything, inspecting both the bedside table and closet thoroughly. However, the Rules 2 paper was found in the bathroom this time, taped to the mirror.
307 was the same setup.
The three rooms didn't differ much at all. All had TVs mounted on the walls, clocks, lubricant bottles, and other adult toys scattered around.
"Tonight, should the four of us... still use one room?"
Sawanaga Taisuke immediately suggested, his voice hopeful.
"No, no way."
Tanaka Ichiro said right away, shaking his head firmly.
"I've decided to take Hayato-san's advice. Two people per room. Miho and I can share one."
"I'll room with you then."
"No, absolutely not..."
Tanaka Ichiro refused to room with Sawanaga Taisuke, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Besides, no one knew if Sawanaga Taisuke would be targeted again, which is why he didn't want to share a room with someone hunted by the strange monster downstairs.
"Miho, room with me."
The shoulder-length-haired Kamimura Miho realized something in that moment. Whatever happened on the first floor made Tanaka Ichiro absolutely unwilling to share a room with Sawanaga Taisuke, to the point of desperation.
"Okay."
As soon as the words fell, Tanaka Ichiro and Kamimura Miho entered room 304 quickly.
Slam!
The door closed with finality.
"Then, then... I'll room with Sawanaga-kun."
Kuroda Hikari spoke with slight hesitation, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Thank you, Kuroda-san. If there's really any danger, I'll protect you."
After making his promise with forced confidence, Sawanaga turned to express his gratitude to Hayato.
"Hayato-san, without you, I'd already be dead down there. I'll never forget this debt. My promise to you, I... I'll definitely fulfill it."
After saying that, he headed back to room 307, shoulders hunched.
Kuroda Hikari bowed slightly in polite acknowledgment before following him inside and gently closing the door.
Hayato and Hoshino Ai also returned to room 306.
The door clicked shut behind them.
"Hayato-kun."
"What is it?"
"Kuroda-san is pretty cute."
Although Hayato had never been in a relationship himself, he'd read enough novels and watched enough anime and shows that he naturally understood what Hoshino Ai was trying to express.
Ah. Maybe I can tease her a little
"Yeah, she's pretty cute."
Hoshino Ai lowered her head slightly, her long hair falling forward to hide her expression.
"But not as cute as you, Hoshino."
A hint of joy appeared on her face, barely suppressed.
"You should go take a bath first!"
"Ah!"
Hoshino Ai's head snapped up, shocked.
This... isn't this too fast?!