Kaguya-sama Wants My Surrender!

"…Senpai, this is too unfair!" 

The spy maid stamped her foot lightly in frustration, as if preparing to speak further. However, her ears twitched suddenly, and without another word, she turned and ran off. 

She had to leave. 

Though she wanted to stay and leverage the situation to her advantage, the problem was that Kaguya had already stepped out—and in front of her eldest lady, restraint was paramount. 

"Amamiya, I'm very satisfied with you today. I think I should reward you. You can ask for anything you want." 

Shimizu smiled faintly, her expression radiating satisfaction and delight. 

Hearing this, Kaguya folded her arms across her chest, tilted her head slightly, and turned to her mother. 

Anything you want, huh? People who say such things are always irresponsible. If I asked her to solve a math problem, she'd definitely fail! 

Amamiya appeared contemplative. "Anything at all?" 

"Of course." 

"Then I'll take you up on it." 

Stare— 

Kaguya shot him a sharp look, her eyes practically screaming a warning: Don't make any weird requests to my mom! 

"Oh, I'm so tired~" Shimizu stretched languidly, her smile growing. "Of course, I need to conserve my energy right now, so some requests may not be possible… That being said, I think Kaguya-chan can fulfill the request on my behalf." 

"Huh?" 

Kaguya froze, turning toward her mother in disbelief. "Why should I take your place?" 

Shimizu raised a finger, her tone as playful as ever. "As the saying goes, a son pays his father's debts." 

"We're not father and son!" 

Kaguya couldn't hold back her exasperated retort. 

"Oh, don't be so rigid," Shimizu teased, her voice brimming with amusement. "If sons pay their fathers' debts, then it's only natural for daughters to pay their mothers' debts, don't you think?" 

How is that natural? 

There's no law in any country where daughters are obligated to pay off their mothers' debts! 

"What do you think, Amamiya?" 

Shimizu smiled slyly as she turned to Amamiya. 

Amamiya nodded in agreement, speaking with exaggerated seriousness: 

"I think that makes perfect sense." 

Kaguya: "…" 

An idiom popped into Kaguya's mind. 

They're in cahoots! 

"Well then, since Amamiya agrees, it's settled," Shimizu declared happily. "A daughter paying off her mother's debt is only natural. If you have any requests, just ask Kaguya-chan." 

With that, Shimizu disappeared into Amamiya's shadow. 

"Kaguya-san, did you hear that?" 

Amamiya turned toward her. "Sister Shimizu said I could ask for anything." 

"I haven't agreed to anything!" Kaguya protested angrily. "You and my mother decided this all on your own!" 

Amamiya sighed dramatically, his tone tinged with regret. 

"Fine, I'll just wait until tomorrow to ask Sister Shimizu after clearing the dungeon." 

"Excuse me?" 

Kaguya tilted her head in a deceptively cute pose, raising her left hand to lightly support her chin. Her voice was soft but carried an unmistakable edge as it echoed in the quiet night. 

"I didn't catch that, Natsuki-san. Care to repeat yourself?" 

"I'm sorry! I was wrong," Amamiya immediately admitted, bowing his head in defeat. "Please forgive me." 

"Hmph." 

Kaguya snorted softly, crossing her arms. "…If you have any requests, we can talk about them after we clear the dungeon." 

Amamiya raised his hand eagerly. "Does that mean I can ask for anything?" 

"Of course not!" 

Kaguya puffed her cheeks indignantly, her voice rising slightly. 

Anything? There's no way I can agree to something like what happened at the hotel so easily! 

The two returned to the classroom and settled down to rest. 

---

The night passed without incident. 

By the next day, all players had completed the first main mission. Only the second and final main mission remained. 

As the deadline for the dungeon's end drew closer, some passerby players couldn't help but feel anxious, worried about an unexpected twist at the last moment. 

Yet, nothing happened. 

When the 48-hour survival mission concluded, a game announcement echoed in the minds of all players. 

[Congratulations, player. Main Mission 2 has been completed.]

[You will be teleported out of the dungeon in ten seconds. Dungeon rewards will be calculated later.]

Upon hearing the game announcement, most players let out a collective sigh of relief. As for anyone crying tears of joy—there was absolutely no one.

"It's finally over."

"The ending felt surprisingly anticlimactic."

"A little, yeah."

"Tsk, you don't know how lucky you are. Scraping through a level at the last second—that kind of drama only happens in movies. Honestly, I'm fine with a plain ending like this."

A passerby girl clasped her hands together, eyes brimming with hope:

"Please, let me be in the same instance as Amamiya next time I enter the game!"

"…"

The world went dark before Amamiya's eyes, leaving him dazed for just a moment. When he blinked again, he was back in the cinema.

The movie had just ended.

The lights came on.

The credits were rolling on the big screen.

Amamiya closed his eyes briefly, trying to steady himself. He pulled out his phone.

"Were back?" 

Umi glanced around and muttered, "This feels so weird. It's like time itself is out of sync." 

"Same here," Sajuna pressed her fingers against her temple, her voice low. "I feel kind of disoriented." 

They had spent a full forty-eight hours in the dungeon, yet only the duration of a movie had passed in reality. The dissonance between time and space left everyone feeling slightly adrift. 

"Stop overthinking it," Chika interjected, raising a finger. "Let's just eat, drink, and have fun! That'll erase all the bad memories immediately." 

As they chatted, the credits ended, and the audience began leaving the theater. 

Amamiya and his companions stood up and exited the cinema together. 

"I haven't showered in two days. I feel gross," Umi grumbled, placing her right hand on her hip. "I'm going home to take a bath, drink Coke, eat ice cream, and devour some ice-cold watermelon! And since tomorrow's the weekend, I'm gaming all night!" 

Amamiya shot her a sidelong glance and remarked, "Be careful not to get a stomachache." 

"Amamiya, stop being a buzzkill!" 

"…" 

The movie had lasted about ninety minutes. By the time they stepped out, it was nearly seven in the evening. 

Though it was summer, with its long days and short nights, the sky had already darkened. Only a faint afterglow of the sunset lingered on the horizon. 

Streetlights flickered on, and the city's neon signs began painting the streets with vibrant colors. 

"Miss, it's time to go home." 

A sleek black car was parked not far away. 

Hayasaka, having changed her outfit and left the cinema earlier, stood waiting by the car door. 

Kaguya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her elegant fingers and suggested, "Would you like the driver to take you home?" 

"No need," Chika waved her off casually. "We live in opposite directions. I can just take the train back." 

"Same here," Umi added with a bright smile. "Traffic's terrible at this hour. I might actually get home faster by train." 

Sajuna shook her head in agreement. 

Amamiya shrugged helplessly. "Well, if no one else is using the car, I guess I won't either." 

Kaguya gave him a brief glance before turning to walk toward the car. 

"…See you at school." 

The remaining group headed to the tram stop. 

"The train's here. I'm heading off. See you all at school!" 

Chika waved goodbye as she boarded the train.