After a fiery ambush behind the fox mask, I woke up in reality, finding Shu alive outside a candy shop. When Shu acted strangely and vanished only to reappear ahead, I realized he might not be real, leaving me to follow his shadowy figure toward Rinko's house.
The fox mask returned, stating that this door from earlier was for welcoming visitors. However, this door denies all but the select few who may tread sacred ground.
When Hinako asked if she was allowed inside, the man welcomed her warmly. He asked if they should rest first, but Hinako told him she was okay to follow right away.
He then started walking ahead, asking me to follow him, though I had been warned not to trust him.
Suddenly, hearing a strange noise behind me, Hinako turned around and tried to lock the door.
Then something attacked her instantly when she was about to lock the door. She fell to the ground on the other side as the door began to burn, and the entire scene faded into darkness.
Hinako woke up back in reality after the long journey, where her friend Shu was asking if she was okay. As she came back to consciousness, he expressed how glad he was to have her back alive.
Smiling, Shu remarked that Hinako was not someone who would go down without a fight. Hinako was quite surprised to see Shu alive and well.
Shu asked where Sakuko was. Hinako stayed silent at first, then pointed toward the dead body lying inside the candy shop.
Shu didn't look very surprised by the sight, asking Hinako what was happening and noting that not a soul was left in town. He wondered aloud if it was all some kind of terrible dream.
Hinako replied that there were monsters around every corner, it was simply one nightmare after another.
Shu smiled and said we still got lucky, or at least he got lucky even if no one else was left in this world, adding that it was good to know Hinako was still around. When Hinako asked about Rinko, Shu said she had just needed to talk to him about something earlier.
Hinako pointed out that Rinko was supposed to be with him, but he just laughed it off and apologized, saying he guessed he was confused and that they had all gotten screwed up. He mentioned he hadn't seen Rinko since.
Confused about where Rinko could have gone, Shu suggested she might have gone home. Shu started acting all weird then, asking Hinako if they should look for Rinko. Hinako then picked up a metal rod as a weapon, but when she turned around, she noticed Shu was gone.
A moment later, I saw him standing ahead again, asking what was wrong and telling me to keep up or he would leave me behind. I figured out that this probably wasn't the real Shu, maybe it was just a projection inside Hinako's mind because she desperately needs someone to stay by her side.
Now, my next goal was to head to Rinko's house and hope she was safe there. Since I did not know the way, I decided to follow the shadow of Shu next.