Kaguya-sama: Love Is War wants me to turn myself in.

Another possibility... is, of course, a death countdown.

It's just that no one wants to say it.

Now that Yukino Yukinoshita had revealed the truth, the other players became nervous and hurriedly checked their game countdown.

The countdown has unknowingly passed halfway, and most people only have one hour left.

Because of the badge item, Natsuki Amamiya's countdown is a little longer, with almost an hour left.

To verify whether it's a death countdown, the method is simple: just observe what happens after the second-to-last person's time is reset to zero, and the truth will be clear.

And the second to last person...

Amamiya Natsuki frowned as she looked at the silly young lady.

It was Kaguya.

The countdown times for everyone were not significantly different, but the person who was second to last was none other than Kaguya Shinomiya.

"How much time is left in the countdown?" Natsuki Amamiya asked in a low voice.

Kaguya Shinomiya gently bit her lower lip: "Fifty-three minutes."

"It's so short!" Fujiwara Chika exclaimed in surprise. She quickly said, "Natsuki-chan, please give Kaguya-chan some more time."

This sounds like a top-up at an internet cafe.

However, I do need to help you renew your subscription.

If the second-to-last person were someone else, Natsuki Amamiya might choose to stand by and watch to verify the pattern, but she certainly wouldn't just stand by and watch the silly girl get into danger.

Amamiya Natsuki simply said:

"Give me your hand."

"Ah."

Kaguya Shinomiya pursed her pink lips, her expression cool and composed as she extended her right hand.

Natsuki Amamiya held the silly young lady's hand and felt that it was soft and boneless, with exceptionally delicate and smooth skin.

In contrast, Kaguya Shinomiya maintained a cool and composed expression, but a blush was rapidly rising on her face, and even the tips of her ears were tinged with a rosy hue.

You are Princess Kaguya of the Ice and Snow, it's just holding hands, why are you blushing!

"How's the countdown going?" Natsuki Amamiya asked.

Kaguya Shinomiya took a quiet breath and replied in a nonchalant tone, "The countdown is slowly increasing."

"now what?"

Amamiya Natsuki released her hand.

“The growth has ended,” Kaguya Shinomiya said quickly. “The countdown has begun to decline… and the decline is happening very quickly.”

"Try again."

Amamiya Natsuki once again took the hand of the silly young lady.

After several verifications, Natsuki Amamiya quickly came to a conclusion.

The "renewal" effect is actually quite limited. Once physical contact stops, the increased time will decrease rapidly until it returns to the original countdown.

Amamiya Natsuki looked down at the puppet Billy and asked, "When the butler said 'time is running out,' did he mean the countdown is almost over?"

“I’m sorry, I can’t say,” said Billy the puppet meaningfully. “Please, guests, proceed to the restaurant as soon as possible for dinner.”

Amamiya Natsuki said, "Let's go to the library first."

"Huh?" Fujiwara Chika asked curiously, "What are we going to the library for?"

"Let's verify this idea."

"..."

The library is on the second floor, so there's no need to go out of your way.

Amamiya Natsuki walked forward, and several girls followed. As for Izumi, whose body had already turned cold... all that could be said was an apology.

The group soon arrived at the library.

Amamiya Natsuki pushed open the door and entered the house.

There were no monsters in the library; it was quite quiet. Ten rows of bookshelves stood silently, filled with a vast collection of books. The books that had been burned before were just a drop in the ocean.

Amamiya Natsuki stopped and looked at the girl with long black hair: "Yukinoshita-san, please come here for a moment."

"Well?"

Yukino Yukinoshita looked puzzled.

"I have something to tell you." After saying that, Amamiya Natsuki looked at the ice sculpture-like young lady beside her, "Kaguya-san, you should go away for a bit."

Shinomiya Kaguya: "..."

They actually whispered to other girls right in front of me and told me to walk away and not listen. That's too much!

Chapter 104 Werewolf Girl, Please Surrender

"I wonder what Natsuki and Yukino are talking about," Fujiwara Chika whispered, looking at the two standing in the corner. "I'm so curious."

Kaguya Shinomiya crossed her arms and said in a cool and composed tone, "I'm not curious."

"I don't believe you." Fujiwara Chika tilted her head and looked over. "If Kaguya-chan isn't curious, why are you staring at me without blinking?"

Shinomiya Kaguya: "..."

In the corner.

"In short, that's the situation," Natsuki Amamiya said in a low voice. "We'll each verify one direction."

Yukino Yukinoshita nodded slightly, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I see."

The two spoke in hushed tones for a moment, then quickly parted ways, each choosing a book from the bookshelf.

"Natsuki-kun, what book are you holding?"

Fujiwara Chika opened her eyes wide and looked over.

"secret."

Natsuki Amamiya placed the book behind her back.

Fujiwara Chika raised her hand: "I can help keep this a secret."

Amamiya Natsuki said seriously, "I'm sorry, I refuse."

"That's so mean." The pink-haired girl puffed out her cheeks. "Natsuki-kun doesn't trust me."

As they spoke, the girl with long, straight black hair walked over, also holding a book in her hand: "I've made my choice."

Amamiya Natsuki nodded gently: "Let's go."

The group left the library and soon arrived at the lobby on the first floor.

Before anyone knew it, pale blue frost had quietly covered the entire hall, making the whole castle seem to be entering an extremely cold world.

Natsuki Amamiya walked up to the fireplace.

The books that had been thrown in earlier had long since burned to ashes, but the flames in the fireplace were still burning faintly.

Natsuki Amamiya remained calm as she handed the book in her hand to the fireplace.

"Wait a minute," the girl on the second floor couldn't help but say. "Those monsters in the castle, they look like the ones we released when we burned the books... It's not cold at all now, so we don't need to burn the books anymore, right?"

Amamiya Natsuki said:

"Since we've already burned so many, burning one more won't be a problem."

passerby girl: "..."

Upon careful consideration, I found myself speechless.

After Natsuki Amamiya finished burning the books, Yukino Yukinoshita stepped forward and threw her books into the fireplace as well.

Flames swept through.

The two books were quickly burned to ashes.

"Oh right." Fujiwara Chika suddenly remembered that three players were still missing. "Where are Mei and the others?"

There are ten players in total. The boy and Izumi have been eliminated, and three players are still missing.

“Those three guests mistakenly entered other guests’ rooms,” said Billy the puppet in a deep voice, clearly very familiar with the situation in the castle. “They haven’t come out yet.”

“Natsuki-kun.”

Fujiwara Chika turned her head to look at her.

Natsuki Amamiya put down the Billy puppet and said simply, "The butler will take us to apologize in person. The guests who were disturbed should be able to forgive us."

If they don't forgive... then naturally we'll try diplomacy first, then force.

It's now basically certain that Puppet Billy is neutral, so the 'Sweep Away Evil' combo can be used again.

"Please follow me, guests."

Puppet Billy straightened his little suit, took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped his palms and body, then strode forward and quickly led everyone to a room: "The guests are inside."

As Amamiya Natsuki pushed open the door, she saw three players trembling and hiding in a corner. Opposite them was a werewolf with a thick coat of hair, who was even wearing a pair of stretchy workout shorts.

Upon seeing Natsuki Amamiya appear, the three players' eyes lit up with surprise.

The werewolf is the same.

The werewolf turned its head and looked over, its eyes flashing green. It quickly grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth: "A few more meals."

Amamiya Natsuki said neither humbly nor arrogantly:

"Mr. Werewolf, have you seen my cousin?"

The werewolf was taken aback: "...Who is your cousin?"

Amamiya Natsuki said: