The room went quiet after Lily Love Braids spoke. “…Tea time is important.” The words echoed softly, almost kindly. But nothing about this place felt kind. The table still waited. Three plush “guests” still sat scattered around the room. But before anyone could move— the doll tilted her head again. “…The ingredients are missing.” A pause. Then, gently: “…Go to the basement.” Sanemi immediately frowned. “Tch. Yeah, that’s definitely a trap.” Mitsuri glanced toward the floor hatch near the corner of the room. “…There’s a basement here?” The lights flickered once. And then— a heavy metal door at the far side of the room slowly unlocked with a deep CLUNK. Muichiro blinked. “…It wants us to go.” Giyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. “…We don’t have a choice.” The door creaked open on its own. Darkness spilled out from below. Cold. Dense. Lily Love Braids stood perfectly still at the table. Watching. Waiting. “…Bring the tea ingredients,” she said softly. “…Then the party can begin properly.” No one answered her. But slowly… they moved. Downward. The basement was worse. Not empty. Not quiet. Just… contained chaos. Broken machinery. Storage crates. Flickering emergency lights that barely worked. And shelves lined with sealed containers labeled: TEA INGREDIENTS — DO NOT MIX Sanemi scoffed. “…Tea ingredients my ass.” Shinobu knelt slightly near one of the crates. “…This isn’t tea. It’s chemical compounds.” A distant sound echoed through the basement. Metal bending. Something hitting a wall. Mitsuri froze. “…Did you hear that?” Before anyone could respond— BANG. Something slammed against a large reinforced door deeper inside the basement. BANG. BANG. Muichiro tilted his head slightly. “…Someone’s inside.” Giyu stepped closer. “…Alive.” Sanemi’s expression sharpened. “…Finally.” He moved first. Another hit. The door cracked slightly. Then— a voice from the other side. Muffled. Familiar. “…HELLO?!” Mitsuri gasped. “…That’s—!” BANG! Sanemi drove his fist into the weakened lock system. The door groaned— And then shattered open. Inside the room— three figures stood tied loosely among broken restraints and scattered crates. The Kamaboko Squad. Tanjiro looked up instantly. “Who—?!” Inosuke immediately snapped forward. “FINALLY! SOMEONE OPENED IT!” Zenitsu nearly collapsed in relief. “WE’VE BEEN HERE FOR HOURS—!” Giyu blinked once. “…Of course they’re here.” Tanjiro looked around quickly. “This place… it’s dangerous. There’s something controlling the facility!” Mitsuri rushed forward slightly. “You’re okay!” Inosuke pointed aggressively at the ceiling. “THERE’S A DOLL LADY UPSTAIRS! SHE TALKS TOO MUCH!” Zenitsu shook violently. “She keeps saying something about a tea party and it’s CREEPY—!” Sanemi clicked his tongue. “…Yeah, sounds about right.” Shinobu’s expression darkened slightly. “…So she’s expanding the system below ground too.” A faint sound echoed through the walls. Upstairs. Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. Then Lily Love Braids’ voice came through the intercom again. Soft. Patient. “…Guests are multiplying.” Silence. Tanjiro’s eyes widened slightly. “…That voice…” Muichiro tilted his head. “…She’s connected to the whole building.” Giyu’s hand tightened slightly on his sword. “…Then we don’t split up anymore.” Another loud CLANK echoed from above. The basement lights flickered harder. Sanemi turned toward the stairs. “…We break out. Now.” And above them— Lily Love Braids stood at the tea table alone. Still smiling. Still waiting. As if everything was still going exactly according to plan. But for the first time… something in the system had changed. Because the “guests” she expected upstairs… were no longer all in one place.