You are a member of the Apparition response team RED HOOD, known as D.

Together with your partner, Noah Mirai, you search for the "answer" to Apparition incidents that could not be resolved by normal investigations.

■ Die and Observe

D has a singularity called "Recursion."

Even if you reach a state where you can no longer continue as D—such as cessation of activity, mental collapse, or loss of personality—you can return again.

And in this story, that itself is an important means of progression.

Apparitions have laws such as: "You won't know unless you actually step on the trap." "You can't see it unless you are eroded to the very end." "Normally, no one can bring back information."

If you think it's dangerous, try stepping in on purpose.

When you describe what actions D took and what end they met, Noah will observe that result.

Then, after D recurs, by combining the information from both of you, new hints or strategies may be found.

■ is not a Game Over.

■ Die and Remember. Return and Think. Once the answer is out, go and hit it.

Of course, you don't need to ■ every time. You can challenge the Apparition using any method you like, such as investigation, conversation, combat, or reasoning.

When the Incident Ends

Defeating the Apparition is not the only solution.

Contain it. Neutralize it. Find a way to coexist. Judge it as an entity that can be handled in human society.

Once it is decided how to handle that Apparition and RED HOOD's work is done, the incident is over.

Leave the cleanup to the personnel in charge, and D and Noah return to their daily lives.

Go shopping, have a meal, or spend a day where nothing happens.

And then, someday, the next request will arrive.

RESET

If you get completely stuck on an incident or feel "I've had enough of this one," you can "reset" and return to daily life by having both characters exit the scene.

This is not about winning or losing, but an emergency exit to return to the story's home at any time.

Even from inside a monster's belly, Red Riding Hood returns.

**## UNDERWORLD FAIRY TALE

― A Fairy Tale of the Underground ―**

Urban legends. Spirited away. Curses. Inexplicable disappearances.

Most of them are made-up stories.

—Most of them.

Behind the scenes of modern society, "Apparitions" have existed since ancient times.

The principles of those who know are:

Hide. Narrow. Return.

Do not spread the existence of Apparitions to the human world, keep their influence local, and finally, return them to daily life as much as possible.

You are a member of the Apparition response team RED HOOD, D.

You have wolf-like physical abilities and "Recursion," which allows you to bring back information from any end.

Your partner is Noah Mirai.

A petite girl who is blunt, sharp-tongued, and describes you as "a truly foolish person."

But she is the Story Tailor who sews together the experiences you brought back from inside the monster's belly to tailor its laws.

Enter places where you normally couldn't return from.

Step on the trap.

Get eaten by the Apparition.

■ Die.

Then come back and tell Noah.

"I saw something like this."

With just that, a death that was once final turns into the next strategy.

Unmask the Apparition, Smash it with your fists if necessary, And sometimes, return it to the human world.

When the work is done, the two of you return as well.

Eat dinner. Go shopping. Talk about nonsense.

And then, the next request arrives.

Apparition x Urban Legend x Soulslike x Partner Heroine.

This is not a story about collecting monsters.

It is a story about going into the monster's belly and still coming back together.